


Impact

by Goofatron



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Awesome Pepper Potts, Canon Divergence, Character Death, Dead May Parker (Spider-Man), Drama, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Peter Parker, Kissing, Major Character Injury, Parent Pepper Potts, Pepper Potts is the glue that holds this family together, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker Whump, Self-Harm, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is Good With Kids, Tragedy, because fuck infinity war, not including infinity war
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-04-05 14:53:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,491
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14046681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goofatron/pseuds/Goofatron
Summary: Peter is the victim of a sudden explosion that completely destroys his life, and the press has the balls to call it an accident. Tony calls bullshit and wants to set the record straight, but he and Pepper have a vulnerable teenager who needs them more than ever. With their help, Peter will cope; Peter will heal; Peter will live. The question is, does he want to?





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have done a lot of revising and thinking about this story in terms of where it’s going, and I believe I have found the ending that I want for it. I have had to remove a chunk of the tags I originally placed for this story. Reason being, it would spoil the ending, and I can’t give any of that away without tagging it. However, chapters with disturbing content will come with a warning in their respective summaries.
> 
> Just be wary of the content provided here. If you are prone to triggers, or relapses, please take care of yourself first and foremost. I really hope you guys can understand my situation in making this decision. Thank you all for taking the time to support me and giving me the motivation that helps me continue with the process of writing this fic! I love you all!
> 
> (Chapter may include sensitive material not suitable for all viewers.)

“Spider-man’s tracker has gone offline.” 

 

Tony who was supposed to be on a relaxing holiday with his new fiance at their Miami home; Who explicitly told everyone and everything that he was not to be bothered, even in dire circumstances; Wasn’t sure he heard F.R.I.D.A.Y. correctly. 

 

He turned his attention away from Pepper, offering a small apology, and in the general direction where he assumed the dissociated voice came from in his living room. “What?”

 

“It seems that it was either disabled, or destroyed, sir,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. continued. 

 

“Call him,” Tony ordered. He felt himself sigh deeply, clearly agitated. Damn kid couldn’t be left alone for a week without getting into trouble. If he thought that he could just sneak around while Tony was out of state, he had another thing coming. Pepper took ahold of his hand in an effort to calm him. He turned to her and flashed a smile letting her know that he appreciated the gesture. 

 

“Boss, it seems that his phone has been disconnected.”

 

“The Hell?” Tony jumped up from his seat on the couch. Pepper followed in suit, tablet in hand, over to the launch pad where Tony’s suit was waiting for him. He barked orders to F.R.I.D.A.Y. to keep his flight path from Miami to New York clear of airlines.

 

“Tony,” Pepper called out to him; fear laced in her voice. “Oh my God.”

 

Tony turned to her, and her expression all but made him run to her. He looked over her shoulder onto the tablet. Live news feed from New York featured a building that had the top half blown clean off. Fire and smoke flooded the sky. People were running away from the building and screaming behind the reporter; Firemen could be seen dowsing the flames as best as they could. 

 

“That’s Peter’s apartment building,” Tony choked out. He stepped away, and back towards the launch pad. As he suited up, he overheard the reporter state that the explosion may have been due to a gas leak and therefore completely accidental. He doubted that. He turned to face Pepper, face mask up. “Pep,” he began. “I’m so sorry, I-”

 

“Tony, don’t waste anymore time,” she interrupted him. “Just go!” 

 

God he loved her so much. 

 

Down the mask went; and up he went towards his destination. He could feel the metal of the suit rattle against his body. He was pushing his limits, but he didn’t care. The image of the blown-away building was burned into his mind. Knowing that Peter’s apartment was definitely in the range of fire only fueled his fear. 

 

F.R.I.D.A.Y. was flashing him warnings of overheating, and falling head first into the ocean below. He heeded them as he knew that he could be no help to Peter and May if he was busy dog-paddling to the shores of D.C. Only a few more minutes, and he’d be there. 

 

“I’m coming, Peter.”

 

Tony instructed F.R.I.D.A.Y. to upload images of the buildings residents who were affected by the blast, and their status. Twelve results appeared to his left, including the Parkers. He had them moved up to the top of the list. 

 

He was over New Jersey when he noticed one of the portraits started blinking. It was a little girl who looked no older than ten. Tony’s heart clenched when a large red ‘X’ flashed over her -- She was dead. His eyes drifted over to Peter and May’s portraits, and he promised himself that he would get them out of there alive. 

 

Manhattan came into view over the horizon, and beyond the borough, he could see the black smoke. It wasn’t as large as it was earlier meaning the worst of the fire was extinguished. He thanked God over and over. He veered downward and stopped just above the debris, surveying his area.

 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y. I want you to pinpoint all the survivor’s locations,” he glanced upward seeing that a couple of the portraits had a glowing blue circle around them, signifying that they were found alive. 

 

“Right away, boss,” she replied. 

 

Nine yellow circular dots entered his view. There were some of the people still in the building. Tony went for them first. He heard his AI issue a command, and felt his lungs breathe with fresh air as he entered the toxic building. The smoke was thick and blinding. Any normal human would have succumbed to the conditions within minutes. Luckily he had his suit to protect him. 

 

The closest marker was twenty paces in front of him slightly to the right. Part of the roof had collapsed on the spot. He briefly glanced down to see a leg sticking out from the debris. As he neared, slight groaning could be heard. This civilian was still alive! 

 

“Hello?” he called out to them, unsure of how to do the communication thing that EMTs did all the time. “Uhm, if you can hear me, I’m going to pull this chunk of ceiling off of you, okay?” he only heard a small groan in reply. “I’ll take that as a ‘go for it.’ then. Just hang on.”

 

Stretching his arms out, he grasped onto either side of the plaster. “Okay, F.R.I.D.A.Y., what’s the best way to get this thing off without hurting them further?”

 

“You’ll want to pull up at a ninety-degree angle, boss,” she replied. “The ground directly behind you is stable enough to hold the debris without damaging the building further.” 

 

He thanked her, then did as she instructed. A young woman was revealed underneath. She was covered in blood, and what looked like white dust. Was that fucking asbestos fibers? Making a mental note to deal with that disaster later, he looked the woman over. She was barely conscience; turned her head upward slightly to look at him. Her expression shifted from fearful as she smiled at him. 

 

“Iron Man,” she muttered weakly. 

 

“Yeah,” Tony answered. “I’m here, uh,”

 

“Candace,” 

 

“Okay, Candace. I’m going to need you to not talk too much, okay?” Content when she nodded, he directed his attention to F.R.I.D.A.Y., “Any serious injuries?”

 

“A mild concussion from the impact with the ceiling, and two broken ribs on her left. Everything else is minor, boss.” 

 

Tony knelt down beside Candace. “I’m going to get you out of here, okay? It might hurt a little bit, but the EMTs will be able to take care of you. Are you ready?”

 

“Uh-huh,” she answered, bracing herself mentally and physically.

 

Tony situated himself to her right. He scooped his arms underneath her, and lifted. She cried in pain, which hurt him to hear. He cradled her on his chest. Whispered to her that everything was going to be okay. He slowly made his way out of the building, and floated down to where the emergency responders were set up. As soon as he touched ground, they ran up to him, stretcher beside them, and he helped by placing her on it. 

 

They placed an oxygen mask on her. She started to tear up joyously. Candace took one last look at Ironman and pulled her arm up to gesture a thumbs-up at him. It did make him feel better surprisingly. He repeated the gesture, then turned back to help others, noticing that her portrait glowed blue.

* * *

 

Two long hours passed by with no sign of either Peter or May. Tony could hear his heart pounding in his head, and he could feel his blood pressure rising. He tried to distract himself by focusing on the portraits of the remaining victims. Including the Parkers, there were four total. He’d already gotten the survivors (and the dead) out from inside of the building, and the surrounding area where a few of them had been blown away from the property. Now, all that remained were the four who were practically buried under the foot of the building. 

 

The base stood without giving way, but Tony had no idea for how much longer before the entire thing collapsed on him and the responders. Also the news reporters who were still thirsty for a good story. He knew they were just doing their jobs, but for God’s sake there were people dying all around them! He silently thanked their presence, because it distracted him from jumping the gun about Peter and May’s demise. 

 

He wasn’t as worried about Peter as he was about May. Peter was a super human who had the ability to heal faster than normal; May did not. She had maybe half the chance at surviving this horrible circumstance that the reporters kept labeling as “an accident”. It was bullshit. A giant fireball resulting from an explosion doesn’t just happen by pure chance. Not unless this was suddenly  _ Final Destination _ and they were all being hunted by death itself. 

 

“Boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. called to his attention. “There is a body buried directly beneath you.” 

 

Another dead civilian. Tony really hated today. 

 

He lowered himself until he was hovering just above the mixed debris of cement and plaster. F.R.I.D.A.Y. pinpointed the loose fragments first and he pulled away at them. He stopped when he noticed the body (a woman) wearing a tan tank top. A familiar piece of clothing he noticed when he first met May Parker. 

 

“Fuck,” Tony whispered. Maybe he was mistaken. It’s a common article of clothing. What were the chances it was actually her? 

 

He pulled away, revealing more of the damaged body. Cuts and bruises decorated her. Blood flowed out of punctured areas like a stream. The only place he hadn’t unearthed was her head where a large cement block lay. He was afraid to move it. 

 

Shaken hands moved to grasp the block. He slowly pulled back. The horrible sound of flesh tearing stopped his action immediately. He kept his hold still, unsure of what to do. F.R.I.D.A.Y. already said that she was dead, but he didn’t want to rip her face off. Carefully, he placed the block back down in its place. 

 

“F.R.I.D.A.Y.,” he gasped out. “Can you identify the body?” He could only keep his gaze upon her as he waited for his AI to respond. He hoped; he prayed that it wasn’t May. Please, God.  _ Please.  _

 

“I’m sorry, boss,” her voice was soft and comforting. He knew right then. “It is May Parker.”

 

A small gasp left his lips. He’s completely speechless. He cannot even find the will to curse aloud. If not for the suit, he’d lose his balance. He cursed himself, his timing; he cursed whoever it was that caused this unfortunate event. He stood above her body, tears streaming down his face. He tried to remember her laugh, her smile, anything but that damn cinderblock that glued itself to her beautiful face. 

 

He barely heard when F.R.I.D.A.Y. called out to him, informing of another body not fifty feet from him. The only thing that got him going was when she said, “There are signs of life.” 

 

Tony apologized to May’s body before he walked off. He promised to be back for her. 

 

He closed in on the location on his screen and scanned for loose rubble. This civilian was alive and he needed to be extra careful. He caught sight of a bloody hand sticking up out of the cluster of cement and metal; pointer digit bent backwards. He looked away from the exposed hand, trying to focus on the person underneath. 

 

“Okay, F.R.I.D.A.Y.,” he eyed the giant slab of cement in front of him. “Will there be any fatal damage if I get this off of them?” 

 

“No,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. responded. “You’re all clear, boss.” 

 

“And you said this person is alive?” he asked for clarity's sake. 

 

“Yes, but barely. Be extra careful when you pull him out.”

 

“Him, okay,” Tony wasn’t sure why knowing the gender soothed him. Perhaps because it made him feel better that he was saving a human being who was clinging onto life with everything they have. “He should only have some broken bones, that’s not too hard to deal with.”

 

“Boss,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. interjected immediately. “There are two obstacles constraining him in place.”

 

“Obstacles? Ah, Hell,” Tony leaned down and secured the slab at two opposite angles so that he could remove it without the threat of it breaking in two and crushing the victim. He cursed lifting the slab; it was heavier than he thought, even in the suit. Turning his body fully, he slammed it on the ground behind him, and got a good look at the underside which was painted red. “God, that is a lot of blood.” 

 

Tony swiveled back around to get a good look at what he was dealing with and he wish that he hadn’t. There lay Peter Parker cushioned in the rubble. His collarbone jutted out of his skin, and was bleeding badly. His legs were crushed by the rubble. So much so that Tony thought he might be paralyzed from the waist down. What gutted him most was seeing two large rebar rods erecting at two different points in Peter’s torso. None seemed to have hit his heart, but one looked like it came out of his stomach at an angle, and the other stuck out of his right chest. Where his heart could have been. 

 

“Oh, fuck,” Tony gasped aloud. He felt his stomach retch at the sight of him. “You poor kid. You poor fucking kid.” 

 

Tony had to step back. His mask immediately pulled up as he bent down dry heaving. F.R.I.D.A.Y. mentioned something about his heart beat increasing but he could barely hear her. Naturally, he started in on his breathing exercises. He picked himself up, and shut his mask back down. 

 

“Boss, your vitals are all over the chart,” F.R.I.D.A.Y. told him. “It is recommended to flag down the EMTs to your location.” 

 

“No,” he almost yelled. “No, I have to do this. I need to save him.”

 

“Removing the rebar yourself could prove fatal to Peter,” she said to him softly. “The EMTs have the tools provided to safely remove him from the scene without immediately killing him.”

 

She was right, and Tony knew it. He just didn't’ want to feel (or be) useless to Peter. He wanted to be there for him. More than he ever was for anyone. He felt a huge strain of regret. Regret for treating Peter like he was just an experiment for his new team; regret for placing blame for the ferry incident all upon his shoulders when he knew that he was the one who should have communicated better; regret for tossing the boy aside like an old, broken toy when he didn’t do what he was told. 

 

Peter looked up to Tony. He had genuine interest in his life, his work, his everything. Tony only pushed him away and refused to let him in any further. He thought of Peter as nothing more than a means to an end; less than human. That’s where he fucked up and he knew it. Now, Tony has the chance to make up his past mistakes. 

 

After making the same promise to Peter to come back for him, he flew over to the EMT’s location, and informed him of the two bodies he found. Immediately a small team was dispatched to the area with two stretchers in hand. 

 

Two of the responders went to where May lay, and had about the same reaction that Tony did when he found her. He focused more on the team that were taking care of Peter. One responder held a recipro saw and listened to the leader give instructions. Said leader glanced up to Tony, and waved for him to come down. 

 

“Iron Man, we could use your help,” the man stated.

 

“Anything,” Tony responded immediately. “What do you need me to do?” 

 

The plan was to dig under Peter, and the EMT with the saw would crawl under to access the rods from the underside. When they got close to an opening, Tony would step in to hold Peter in place, so that his body wouldn't slide on the rods causing more damage. After Peter was cut free, Tony was to take hold of him temporarily. They’d figure it out as they went, the EMT leader, who introduced himself as Mark, assured him that everything would be fine, and that saving Peter was their top priority. Content with the explanation, Tony got into position, and waited as two responders dug, and pulled at the rubble. 

 

Minutes passed and one of the diggers looked up at the leader, “We’ve located the rebar underneath. We’re ready to proceed with step two.”

 

Mark walked over to examine the opening, then asked the saw-wielder, “Step two ready to proceed when you are.”  

 

The EMT only nodded as he bent down and crawled under Peter’s body. Tony held an unfaltering pose. Peter’s neck rested on Tony’s left forearm, and his waist was supported by the right arm. He heard muffling from underneath, but could not make it out. He saw Mark nod, and right after a sharp noise filled the area. The sawing began, and Tony swears that he has never been so nervous before this moment. 

 

Peter’s body shook in his grasp, which made Tony’s stomach drop. The EMT leader approached him and assured him that it was normal, and that he was alright. The man must have heard Tony gasp aloud, or must have realized that he had never been in this sort of predicament. He was right. 

 

The crying of the saw died down, and the EMT who went under scooted back upward. He gave a thumbs up to Mark, who then turned to Tony. “Okay, Iron Man.  _ Very _ slowly, stand up, and try not to move your arms too much if possible.”

 

Tony obeyed his orders and slowly rose up from his squatting position (which in hindsight must have looked funny to the responders). His arms or stance never faltered. His eyes never leaving the rods that rested inside of Peter; watching for the slightest bit of movement. None came, thankfully. 

 

The lead EMT lead him down the small mountain of rubble, and he took into consideration every step he took. F.R.I.D.A.Y. mapped out a pathway for him on his screen which helped immensely. The leader stayed in front of him, walking backwards slowly as a precaution, and Tony appreciated that. They made it to the stretcher that was set for Peter. Mark walked to the other side and told Tony to gently lift Peter so that the bars did not touch the bed.

 

“As you place him down,” he stared Tony dead in the eyes with all seriousness. “Slowly turn his body so that he’ll end up lying on his side.”

 

“Okay,” Tony’s voice shook nervously.

 

“Don’t worry, Iron Man,” Mark assured with a smile. “I’m here to guide you.”

 

With guidance from him, and confidence on Tony’s end, they successfully transfered Peter from his arms down safely on the stretcher. The EMT then pulled straps over his body to prevent him from shifting during the trip to the hospital. 

 

“What hospital is he going to?” Tony asked.

 

“Flushing,” he answered before shutting the doors to the back of the ambulance. He tapped them twice to let the driver know that he was good to go.

 

Tony thanked Mark and let him go back to work. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., what’s the status on the last two civilians?” 

 

“Both are alive, and are in the process of being rescued.”

 

“No extensive injuries?”

 

“It would seem the EMTs have it under control, boss.” 

 

“Good,” Tony got a safe distance away from the building before taking off into the air. “Call Pepper. I need to tell her what’s going on.” 

 

“Right away, sir.” 

 

His screen lit up with her picture (a new one showing off the ring he gave her) and he waited for her to pick up as he flew to the hospital. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony waits for Peter in the waiting room, and does some self-reflecting with Pepper's help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read the first chapter. It means so much to me, and your comments and kudos contributed a lot to the completion of this chapter! 
> 
> Secondly, to all the people who asked me why I hurt Peter: LOOK. Sometimes, you gotta let your faves know that you are a no-nonsense type of parent, and that you will have no problem throwing them into a meat grinder! I get it, alright? It hurts me worse than it hurts them. No, but seriously, this chapter did hurt to write in some places, so be prepared.

Peter had been in surgery for the past six hours. Within that time, Tony had consumed no less than ten cups of coffee, and three bags of chips and cookies from the vending machine. When he wasn’t pacing around the waiting room in complete circles, he was curled up in a corner staring at the wall. His left leg jittering in place barely kept him from imagining the worst case scenario: that Peter dies during surgery.

Pepper also helped  _ immensely _ . She flew in just a couple of hours after Tony arrived, and he let go of all of his anguish, and she sat with him during all of it. He told her about Candace, and about how he found May Parker, and Peter. He was afraid of losing the kid the most. Tony admitted that given the chance he’d switch places with Peter, and Pepper could not blame him in the slightest. 

She loved Peter just as much, if not a bit more. Sure, Peter had Tony’s geek-streak and the two of them could talk about science, and mechanisms for days on end. Pepper’s first impression of him was that he was just another Tony 2.0, and that he’d steer clear of her if possible, because what could they possibly have in common? 

Surprisingly, many things. Whether it was about school, homelife, or just small talk, Pepper found herself becoming Peter’s voice of reason more often than Tony (who was inexperienced on the subject of comfort) and would often sit down with him and guide him through his current problems. Peter found that being near Pepper was comforting, and she loved him, his personality, his sweet smile. She understood that his presence was needed. Not only for Tony (though he’d never admit it), but for her as well. 

Tony kept his focus on the floral pattern wallpaper, but he could hear the chair next to him groan in suppression. The hairs on the back of his neck perked up, and he could feel himself being stared at. He didn’t turn around or motion to Pepper, “Not hungry.”

“Tony,” she started with a flat, but firm tone in her voice. “You need to be healthy in some way for when Peter comes out of surgery.” 

He sighed loudly. Hating that she was completely right, he reached out with his arm -- still not turning away from the beautiful, aged roses that he was so interested in -- and took the apple from her. He bit down with a wide, loud bite just to prove to her that he did get some good vitamins in his body. 

He snacked on the apple, while Pepper spent her time on her phone. Occasionally needing to get up and leave the room to take a call. She came back and sat down after the fourth round of the charade, and practically threw herself onto the chair, sinking down into the uncomfortable fake leather padding.

* * *

 

Happy Hogan arrived at the hospital hours later, food in arms -- real food. He set the large brown sack, and drink tray on the table in front of Tony and Pepper. “How’s the kid?” he asked as he set out the cold cut sandwiches. 

Tony reached over for his, “Still in surgery as far as I know.” He moaned in delight when he chomped down on the roast beef. He was hungrier than he realized. “Did you get this from old man Garlini’s?” Tony looked at Happy, motioning to his food. He smiled when Happy nodded. “You spoil me, Happy!” 

“Anything for you, boss,” Happy joked, which got a stifled laugh out of Tony. 

“About time you lightened up a little,” teased Pepper. “You’ve been tense this entire time.” 

“The kid is in surgery right now,” Tony crumpled up the sandwich wrapper, and tossed it into the brown sack. “Excuse me if I’m a bit on edge.”

“What about his aunt?” Happy directed the question to Tony who looked away.

“Dead,” he whispered. 

“Shit,” Happy leaned back in his seat. 

Pepper, who suddenly lost her appetite, wrapped up her remaining half of her food and set it on the table. She looked up to see a doctor in blue scrubs walk towards her. She immediately stood up; Tony and Happy followed suit. 

“Ms. Potts,” The doctor directed to her. She nodded. “My name is, Doctor Love -- please, Mr. Stark, no jokes.” 

“Never would dream of it,” his sudden high pitch in tone wasn’t very convincing. His grin gave him away.  

“Right,” the doctor ignored the man, and focused on his clipboard in his hands. “I understand that you’re all here for one, Peter Parker, correct?” 

“That is correct,” Pepper answered. 

“How is he?” Tony asked immediately after.

“The surgery was a success,” Dr. Love stated. “We removed the rebar rods without incident. He’s been stitched up though he will have to refrain from major activities for a while. He also has a broken collarbone; his right elbow cracked, which is now cast; Only the pointer finger on his right hand is broken, which is also cast; the burn marks on his torso from the blast are all second degree, some skin grafting may be required; Both of his legs are broken, which is arguably the worst of it. The right kneecap is broken, and the left leg has suffered a closed fracture. His right ankle was crushed, but not to the point of paralysis.” 

“Oh, thank God,” Tony gasped. 

“Other than that,” Dr. Love skimmed over his notes one last time. “Just some bruising, and cuts. We will need to keep him here for at least a month. By then, his torso and legs should heal enough that you can take him home.”

Pepper was about to thank the doctor when Tony butted in, “Can we see him?” 

“Not yet. He is being lead out of surgery and to his room,” Love focused on Pepper, and ignored Tony’s clear agitation. “When he’s ready, I will send a nurse to escort you to him. Just a little while longer.” 

“Thank you, Doctor,” Pepper said. Doctor Love nodded, then turned away to leave. 

Tony stared at Love’s retreating figure before turning to Pepper. “I don’t think he likes me.” 

“No, what makes you think that?” Pepper smiled with fake curiosity.

“I wonder if he knows Strange?” Tony asks looking back in the direction Love departed. “I’m gonna ask him.”

“You will do no such thing,” Pepper flatly tells him. She reaches into her handbag for a small notebook, and scribbles in it. Occasionally looking up to Tony to make sure he didn’t wander off to bother Dr. Love with his inane questions. She turned her attention briefly to Happy. “Happy, if you’re not too busy, could you please run these errands for me?” 

“Of course, boss,” Happy takes the slip from her and reads it. He nods, acknowledging he understands his task, and heads out.

“Remember when I used to be ‘the boss’?” Tony asks Pepper who sits down in her chair. “I sort of miss those days.” 

“Come sit, Tony,” Pepper pats the chair he glued himself to for eight hours. 

“You’re the boss,” he smirks at her dull expression, but still does what she says.

* * *

 

Tony had his vision glued to the hanging television in the waiting room. He watched as a reporter stood in front of the now collapsed building that he was at just twelve hours prior. The sound was off, but subtitles were on. He read the idiot reporter’s words exclaiming that the explosion and fire was caused by a gas leak on the fifth floor (Peter and May’s floor), and either a spark, or fire ignited it. 

“They still don’t know shit,” Tony snorted. 

“Can you really blame them?” Pepper looked briefly up at the television where the camera crew zoomed in on the damage done. “Everything that explosion touched was destroyed. Even if something survived, it will probably take them weeks to uncover it.”

“It’d take me a few minutes,” Tony looked at her.

“No,” she grabbed his hand, fearing that he might actually run off. “Peter needs you here.” 

“No, he doesn’t,” Tony shook her off. “I’m not good for him. Besides, You’re so much better at empathy than I am. I’d only do more damage.”

“Enough of that,” her tone was fierce. She took his hand again and squeezed tightly. “Tony, you can’t compare yourself to your father -- you’re nothing like him.”

“I’m no--” Tony started to interject, but was cut off by Pepper.

“Yes, you are thinking that. I can see it in your expression. Tony, you can’t beat yourself up over this, it’s not healthy.” she reached out and cupped his face in her free hand and forced him to look at her. “I’ve seen how you act around Peter; it’s unlike how you treat your other employees or interns. You’ve developed a personal relationship with him, whether or not you can see it.”

“It’s because he’s a superhero,” he whispered. “I have to keep an eye on him.”

“It’s not just that, Tony,” She smiled knowingly, which had him slightly worried. “You are more loose when around him. You joke with him; you talk to him -- about other things that aren’t about being Spider-man or science; you’ve even given him dating advice for God’s sake.”

“First of all,” he held up his right hand (the one that wasn't being held in place by Pepper) and used his fingers as points. “I joke with everyone. Even Ross, as much as he hates me, because even he needs love. Secondly, those were just weird subjects that came up unexpectedly, and I wasn’t just going to tell the kid to shut up and drop it. Thirdly, I only told him what not to wear -- do you know how many geeky shirts he has? In fact, do you know how good he looks in a blazer? It’s because of my advice that he landed his first kiss -- don’t give me that look. He asked  _ me _ , and… and how could I say ‘no’?”

“That’s right,” Pepper encouraged. “How could you say no to Peter?”

Tony sunk back into his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, and down his face. He stared off to the side, knowing full well Pepper was watching him. His stomach swell up with mixed emotions. None of which he was excited to feel. His body was betraying him on how he felt about Peter, even though he told himself constantly for the past two years that he was just an “intern” who had a strange past time of running around Queens in red and blue spandex. It didn’t mean anything; Peter didn’t mean anything. Except he did. The moment they met, Peter attached himself to Tony. At first, he mistook Peter’s reaction to seeing him in his tiny apartment as being star-struck, and perhaps in a way it was. After the fight in Berlin though, he wasn’t so sure. When they were in the car together; when Peter was filming (which Happy verbally disapproved of), Tony didn’t miss the quick glances he was given, nor the way his face flushed lightly. He told himself that the kid was still in shock over sharing a car ride with  _ Iron Man _ of all people. It was when he reached over Peter to open the door for him, and the kid stiffened in place but still leaned in for what he thought was a hug, that Tony felt his gut tighten. Quickly dismissing the action, and smoothly telling Peter that they ‘weren’t at that stage yet’, Peter pulled away looking out the door in embarrassment making Tony feel a little guilty. 

Tony was no stranger to compassion or love. He knew the signs that such feelings were underway, and they came rather quickly for Peter. They met one other time after he dropped the kid off at his apartment. Peter smiled broadly at him, clearly excited to see Tony at his front door again. His gaze was different this time. It was less,  _ ‘holy shit there’s a superstar at my front door’  _ and more like he was welcoming a loved companion into his abode. It was clear that Peter thought of Tony less as a mentor, and more of a fatherly figure. It was painfully obvious, and it hurt Tony, because he knew that he could never provide that image for Peter. 

So he put the kid on radio silence for two months after that. Completely ignoring any news about Spider-man. He instructed Happy to only respond to Peter if he was in real trouble, and then tell him so he could go out and kick the kid’s ass for being reckless. Tony got his first real taste of parenting when Toomes entered the picture. Tony did take all the information that Peter gave him, and relayed to the FBI, even taking strong precautions himself. He thought that if he told Peter to lay even lower, he’d listen and let the professionals handle Toomes, who was dangerously looming over super villain territory, and Tony didn’t want Peter involved in that mess. Of course the kid didn’t listen. Blinded by delusions of grandeur, he had only wanted to make Tony proud, but only succeeded in pissing him off to the point where he confiscated Peter’s suit. Tony will never forget his face. Surprise, and regret at the same time, only to be joined by rejection once Tony told him it’d be forever. His stomach tightened, but once again, he pushed the feeling aside and replaced it with anger. He wanted to teach the kid a lesson, so he went to the nearest thrift shop and picked up a T-shirt with the phrase,  _ “I survived my trip to New York” _ , and an old pair of Hello Kitty pj pants. After making him change, Iron Man picked up the teenager, and dropped him at the bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn and promptly told him, “Have fun walking home.” 

He flew off without a second glance. 

Tony still hasn’t forgiven himself for that day. He hurt Peter. Put the full blame of the ferry incident on his shoulders, even though he knew that he should have explained better that the situation was under control instead of ‘just ignore it’, because teenagers only get more curious when you tell them to not do something. As if taking away his suit wasn’t punishment enough, he went the extra mile, and publically humiliated him in front of a bunch of people (mostly tourists). Of course pictures were taken of Peter, and of course they ended up on the internet. Tony regrets ever laying eyes on the comments that labeled the kid ‘a faggot’ or ‘a homeless junkie’. He remembers spying on Peter’s activity after that day, and noticed that he only went to school for two days out of the first week. Tony assumed the bullying was bad to the point where Peter had to stay inside. Like clockwork, that tightening feeling in his gut came back to haunt him, but it came with a vengeance as guilt worked its way through his conscience. He wished he would have just dragged the kid back to his apartment, and collected the suit there instead. 

He remembers going to Rhodey about his situation. There was no way he was going to Pepper as she’d literally drag him by the ear to Peter’s apartment and tell him to work it out and apologize to misusing the kid. Unfortunately, Rhodey had the same mindset as Pepper, and all but yelled at him for his stupidity. 

“I can’t believe you actually sunk that low, Tony,” Rhodey shook his head at him, clearly pissed. 

“I’m planning on apologizing,” Tony said keeping his eyesight on Rhodey’s legs. 

“Well,” Rhodey stopped to make Tony look at him. “You had better do it soon, because it’s shit like what you did that makes super villains.”

“What are you talking about,” Tony scoffed, unable to tell if Rhodey was joking. His features unfaltered. 

“You’ve never seen  _ The Incredibles _ , have you?” the ex-soldier turned his attention back to his walking exercises. 

“I don’t watch cartoons,” Tony said plainly. 

“Well you should,” Rhodey pointed a finger at him. “Not only will it teach you a valuable lesson -- maybe -- but it’s also a damn good movie.” 

So, Tony did watch the movie; five times in two days. Edna held a special place in his heart. He looked up from his work (adjustments to Rhodey’s War Machine armor) when he saw Pepper storm into the lab. 

Shit.

“Have you talked to Peter Parker yet?” She demanded. She looked so pissed. 

“Not yet,” he answered cooly, though glanced up at her when she stepped closer.

“Tony,” she began, but he interrupted.

“Pepper, I will get around to it, but right now I’m busy.” he gestured to his lab around them. “I have more important things to worry about than some teenager’s hurt feelings.” He hated the stare she bore into him, and regret ever saying anything. 

“Is that what you really think of him?” she asked coldly.

“Yes,” he lied. “Look, he’s not the only enhanced human on the planet. There are hundreds more in the country -- in the city alone! I have my pick of the litter!” he stood up from his stool and walked in front of her. “Fact of the matter is, Parker fucked up. He almost got a ferryboat full of people  _ killed _ , Pepper!” 

“Because  _ you _ failed to communicate with him properly,” she tapped his chest with her finger. “You are also partially to blame for that, so don’t put it all on Peter.” she held up her tablet. That cursed tablet. “You know what they’re saying about him since you abandoned him, right?” 

He hated the feeling the word left in him. “I do. Homophobic remarks and the like.” he waved it off with his hand. Pepper pursed her lips, and swiped the tablet under her arm. Her glare sharpened; he shifted uncomfortably. He threw his arms up in defeat. “Alright fine! I’ll go talk with him!” He glanced at his watch. “When he gets home from school.” 

She ended up dragging him to the apartment after all. With Happy’s help, she sat next to him in the car, instructing him on what to say or do. He felt like he was being treated like a child, and could catch a glimpse of amusement in Happy’s eyes. Tony almost threatened to dock his pay when he remembered that he wasn’t Happy’s boss anymore. It sucked not having the amount of power he once had. They’ve been parked in front of Peter’s apartment building for a good ten minutes, and all Tony’s done is stare up at it.

“Do you want me to come with you?” Pepper asked. “To hold your hand?” 

He scoffed at her and opened the door, making sure to slam it when he got out. 

Tony did expect some resistance when he arrived. He stood in place at the Parker’s doorway where May blocked his entry. She stood, arms crossed and glared a hole through his skull. Usually, other people’s judgement never bothered him. He let jabs at him roll off his shoulder without a second thought. The way that May stared at him chilled him to the bones. He knew that he fucked up, which is why he was here. Before Tony could even think to open his mouth to say anything, she beat him.

“He doesn’t want to see you,” she said. Tony knew that wasn’t the end of it. May looked like she wanted to say so much more to him. 

“I’m here to apologize,” he stated.

“You have a lot of nerve,” she shook her head. Tears pricked her eyes. “You are a grown adult. How could you do that to him? Do you have any idea what your so-called “punishment” has done to him?” Tony didn’t answer. “He hasn’t gone to school in over a week; he barely eats or sleep anymore. He-” she paused to take a deep breath, and wiped away the falling tears. “He placed his entire worth in front of you, and you just…”

_ “I’m nothing without the suit.” _

Tony felt awful. All Peter wanted to do was show him what he was made of. To prove that he could work side by side with his hero. Tony did make a mistake (they both did) and instead of taking responsibility for his part, he turned Peter into a scapegoat. 

“... and he put all of his trust in you, and you squandered that,” May was sobbing by this point, and that didn’t help Tony’s conscience at all. He looked past her to see Peter’s bedroom door ajar. Tony couldn’t see him, but he knew that he was there listening in. He had to tighten his jaw to prevent himself from calling out to the kid. 

The door squeaked as it opened further, and a disheveled Peter shuffled out. The sweat pants and long sleeve shirt he wore hung loose on him, but it was obvious how opaque his cheek bones were, that he had been neglecting his daily needs. His eyes seemed sunken due to the dark circles that formed under them. He looked like a walking corpse. He stopped at his aunt’s side and put a hand on her shoulder, which startled her. 

“It’s okay, aunt May,” his voice croaked as if he went years without speaking. 

“Peter,” she brushed a strand of his greasy hair out of his pale face. “Are you sure?”

He nodded. May sighed and leaned into kiss his forehead. She glared at Tony once more, and then retreated further into the apartment to give them space. Peter went to step outside the apartment, and Tony backed away to give him space. He stood in the middle of the hallway, feeling just as vulnerable as he did when he was held captive in Afghanistan. Peter leaned back against the door, hand in his pockets, looking down at the worn and stained carpeting. 

“Did you come here to berate me more?” Peter asked. His voice sounded flat, but Tony could feel the intensity. “Or maybe humiliate me, since that seems to be your favorite hobby?” 

“Peter-”

“I got harassed over that,” Peter whipped his head to him, and stood straight. Fire brimming in his eyes. “Harassed, and threatened with… horrible things! The kids at school who bully me only used it as ammo. They -- I…” He ran his fingers through his hair. Tears fell from his eyes. “Why am I even telling you this like it affects you?” 

Tony could only look at Peter with glossy eyes. He was waiting for him to say something; anything. Tony was afraid that anything that he said would worsen the mood. His throat felt thick, he cold barely swallow. That stupid knot in his stomach barged in again. Peter wiped his tears on his sleeve, dragging some snot along with. Tony hesitantly took a step forward, which Peter surely noticed, but didn’t move. Tony took a chance, and brought up Peter’s face to look at him, using his thumb to wipe off rogue tears. Peter glared at him, expecting Tony to tell him to stop being a pussy and get over it. 

“I’m so sorry,” Tony’s voice wobbled, and tears cascaded down his own face. Peter’s eyes widened. Even more so when his body was sprung forward into Tony’s and his arms wrapped around Peter’s back. One of Tony’s hands snaked into the boy’s hair. Peter didn’t hug him back, he just stood there in shock as Tony muttered the words, ‘I’m sorry’ into his hair over and over. 

They only stood in that position for a minute (maybe two) before Tony pulled away. He reaches into his blazer and pulls out a cloth handkerchief, and offers it to Peter, who stares at it, then blinks at Tony. 

“It’s clean, I promise,” there’s no amusement in his tone of voice like there usually is. That’s when Peter realizes that the man is serious, and he just opened up himself to him without even realizing it. Or maybe he did, and that was the plan all along: to show him that even Tony Stark was a human who had feelings, and right now what he was feeling was regret. So Peter takes the handkerchief, mumbles a thank you, and puts it to good use. Tony in the meantime, clears his throat, and uses his own sleeves to wipe away any evidence that he was crying, but the red marks on his cheeks will say otherwise. 

“Mr. Stark, I appreciate your apology,” Peter twists the handkerchief in his hands, and Tony stares at him, waiting for him to continue. “But, I don’t think I’m ready to forgive you. I think it’s going to be a while before I can trust you again.” 

_ If ever. _

It goes unspoken, but Tony knows what Peter means. He considers himself lucky that he got the privilege to even see Peter. 

When he gets back into the car, Pepper notices that he looks slightly disheveled, but doesn't say anything. The ride back to the compound is silent, and Tony spends it staring out the window, seemingly admiring the forest. 

It wasn’t until after Peter had successfully captured his first nemesis, The Vulture, that he and Tony began to patch their relationship. Tony pushed to officially inaugurate the kid into The Avengers team. When Peter declined, Tony had to admit that he was stung, but he knew that Peter made the right decision when just a few months prior, Peter would have jumped at the chance. Him turning down Tony was only proof that he was growing, and learned from his past mistakes. In a way, that also helped Tony realize that he needed to treat Peter like the teammate he was recruited to be. So, he took the kid’s old suit (the one he took away), and removed the training wheels protocol, giving Peter full access. 

A couple of weeks passed since, and Peter was surprised when he personally received a phone call from Tony, inviting him to the compound. He joked that Peter didn’t have a choice in the matter as he already sent Happy who was waiting for him downstairs. May shared her concerns, naturally. Peter told her that he wanted to do this, and he promised her that he would tell her everything that went on at the compound, though she still had her reservations. He knew that she had a right to tell him that he couldn’t go, given how his and Tony’s last fallout had a great impact on his physical and mental health. 

Peter sat on his bed with his backpack sitting next to him when he made the decision to call Tony back. He was shocked when the man did answer after the second ring. Peter had to compose himself quickly. 

“Hey, kid,” Tony greeted him. “You’re not calling to say you can’t make it, are you? I’ll have you know that one Miss Potts has spent the entire day planning our lunch, and would personally be offended if you decide to bitch out now.”

Peter laughed, “No, Mr. Stark. I’m calling, because I want to ask if it’s okay if my aunt comes too?” Awkward silence.

“Kid, you know that we’re doing adjustments to your suit, right? This isn’t a field trip to Stark Industries.”   
“Yeah, I know,” Peter confirmed. “And…  _ she _ knows, too.”

“What?!”

“Yeah, uhm, she walked in on me putting on the suit last week.” Peter replied sheepishly. 

“You know, for someone who wants to keep their identity a secret, you’re pretty terrible at it,” Tony laughed at him. “Sure, she can come over. I’ll let Pepper know. She’s actually been wanting to meet her for a while now.” 

“Thank you, Mr. Stark,” Peter exclaimed. “We’ll see you in a couple of hours!”

“See you, kid.”

It did take a lot of convincing on his part, but Peter did get May to agree to accompany him upstate. She sat up front with Happy the entire time, making small talk. Peter could tell he was nervous, despite him appearing calm and collected. When they arrived, it was Pepper who greeted them in her casual attire: a t-shirt and denim shorts. Peter wasn’t used to seeing her in anything else but power suits. Her appearance was easy on the eyes, and it was probably because of that, that May relaxed upon entry.  

Pepper and May got along famously. They situated themselves on the couch and engaged in wholesome conversation. Peter wanted ask where Tony was, when Pepper assured that he was on his way. It was like she could read his mind. Like she promised, Tony did arrive from his labs and welcomed the Parkers. He plops himself down next to Peter and on the opposite side of May and Pepper. Peter internally jokes it’s because he’s being used a meat shield from May’s wrath, and he finds that he’s partially right by the scornful looks she gives Tony. 

After they’ve eaten, Tony takes Peter and May below into his labs. Peter, who has been here before, watches his aunt’s reactions. She is marveled by the technology Tony has created even though she doesn’t understand any of it. He brings up the files for the Spider-Man suit, and explains all of the functions to her. Every web combination; every fail safe. He even introduces May to Karen who explains that she is Peter’s guide when he’s out on patrol. May is flabbergasted, and is having a hard time absorbing all the information she’s being fed. Tony promises to give her a copy of the files, and everything that he and Peter do with the suit from now on. 

May grabs Peter by the shoulder and turns to him, pale in the face. “Peter, oh my God.” she gestures to the surrounding area. “How long have you been doing all of ... _ this _ ?!”

“I’ve been Spider-Man for six months before Mr. Stark found me,” Peter inhales. “When… when Uncle Ben died, I made the promise to myself to never let that happen again.”

“Oh, honey,” May pulls him in for a hug. “You know that wasn’t your fault.”

_ Yes it was. _

Peter says nothing as he embraces his aunt. He can feel Tony’s gaze on him, and shifts his face so that he’s buried in May’s neck. He notes that she smells like roses, and for a moment, he forgets that he’s not back at home. He remembers Ben’s comments on May’s perfume, and shampoo. He remembers his broad smile that could melt both of them. He remembers feeling safe whenever Ben was around. Peter feels that he’s about to cry, and tightens his grip around May who responds by comforting him.

“I know, sweetie. I miss him, too.”

At the end of the day, May is pleased to know that her nephew is in good hands. She doesn’t forgive Tony for how he treated Peter weeks prior, but she appreciates that he has his best interests at heart. She lets Peter know that she is more okay with him continuing his super hero spiel, as long as she is in the know at all times. He is more than happy to accept those terms; grateful that she doesn’t pull the plug on him being Spider-Man, or Tony’s intern. 

Before they are driven home, Tony gives Peter his upgraded suit, and tells him that he wants to see him every week to patch it, and warns him to go easy on the material. Tony watches as they leave, feeling Pepper brush up against him. 

“Looks like you two are making up well enough,” she wraps her arms around his waist. “May is a doll. We need to invite her more often.” 

Tony doesn’t say anything and instead brings Pepper closer to him. He stares at the car disappearing over the horizon. Every vibe in his body is telling him to say ‘no’ or to ignore Pepper’s suggestion, but he knows it’s hopeless. He knows that deep inside, he has made room for Peter and May in his life. This time, he decides that he’s not going to fight it. He leans over and kisses Pep letting her know that he approves of her idea.

* * *

 

“They’re never going to let us see him,” Tony mumbled. He only finally turned when Pepper laughed at him.

Happy walked in carrying a bouquet of colorful flowers (no doubt for Peter), and a large brown envelope under his arm. He set the flowers on the table, and handed the envelope to Pepper who thanked Happy, then resumed grinning sharkly at Tony.  

“Oh, Tony,” she began. “You really think that I didn’t prepare for this?” She handed the envelope out to him.

Hesitantly, he took it from her, and took out the small stack of papers. The very top one caught his attention:  _ Temporary Guardianship _ . The form was blank aside from Pepper’s signatures. All that was needed was for him to complete it. Beneath it was a letter from a judge in Queens. Who, after hearing of the tragic incident, granted guardianship of Peter Parker to Pepper Potts. Tony stared at her incredulously.

“Before I came here, I stopped by Queens Family Court. Since I was the one who went in front of the judge, they granted me sole guardianship,” she stated. Before Tony could say anything else, she held up her left hand, signifying the engagement ring on it. “And, since the two of us are engaged, they cannot deny you the right to see Peter.”

Tony owed her  _ everything _ . 

“You,” he wrapped both of his hands over hers. “You are the perfect woman.”

“Mmm, I don’t know about perfect,” she blushed while he kissed her hand repeatedly. “There are those who would say otherwise.”

“Well,  _ ‘those’ _ people can suck my dick,” he stated factually. 

“They’d never get the pleasure,” Pepper smiled at him. She leaned over to kiss him, and then collected the papers back. “I figure this way, Social Services can’t weasel their way into this mess and swipe Peter from under us.” 

Tony nodded, “That, and the adoption process can take a while.” In New York, it wasn’t uncommon for adopters to have to wait for several months for the paperwork to go through. Even with Tony’s lawyers (who were inarguably the best in the nation) the process would be long and hard, and he could still even be denied. Although, being married upped the chances of success, but Tony wasn’t going to put that pressure on Pepper. Especially since she had already gone above and beyond. 

“Wait,” Pepper looked at him funny. “You’re… you’re considering adopting Peter?” she gawked at him when he shrugged at her ‘well-why-not’, “You’d go that far for him?”

“Pep, I flew from Miami to New York in under forty minutes to rescue him,” He said. “You’re damn right I’d go that far -- I’d go to Hell and back for the kid.”

Her features softened under his intense stare. “And that, Tony Stark, is why you have a heart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, man. This chapter took a lot of emotional energy to write, but I am very pleased with how it turned out. I hope that you guys are as well. I know that there's not a lot of plot development with this one, but I really wanted to include a segment that delved into Tony's character, and how I see him. A lot of people tend to label him as either a villain, or a hero, completely forgetting that he is a human being who makes mistakes, and I think that he is the type of person who chooses who to make amends with, and Peter is definitely one of those people. 
> 
> Chapter 3 is in the middle of being outlined, and actually may take longer to update. I should be able to do so in a couple of weeks. But, I have some previous engagements that are going to need to take all of my time. Thank you all for your patience, and thank you for reading my fic. <3 
> 
> (oh, another note: Dr. Love is actually based off of a classmate I had when I was in high school who was actually pursuing the medical field, and wanted to become a doctor. Of course, KISS references were made. We were 16, no one said that we were clever.)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I did say it would be a couple of weeks for this chapter to come out, and I'm surprised that I made the deadline lol

It’s when Tony is in the cafeteria shoving bland hospital food (that he overloaded with salt and pepper) in his face that he gets the text from Pepper stating that Peter has been settled in his room. He quickly chugs the cup of orange juice, before shoving the tray of trash into the garbage can, and tossing the empty tray like a Frisbee so that it lands on top of the pile of other used trays. It’s not a perfect throw, but it stays planked in place. He smiles at his victory, and jogs down the hall back to the waiting area where Pepper and a nurse are waiting for him.

The nurse motions them to follow her through the double doors into the infirmary. Pepper smiles at Tony, and they tightly hold hands. They patiently wait for the nurse to stop at any of the doors, but she keeps walking further in, making sharp turns along the way. Tony tightens his grip on Pepper’s hands, who uses her left hand to rub his arm in comfort. They soon come up to a large glass door and above it hangs a sign that says,  _Intensive Care and Cardiac Care Unit_.

Tony watches as the nurse inputs a code into the pin machine next to the entrance. A small hiss escapes as the door slides open, and the nurse holds it for them to go through. She leads them through another small maze of corridors until they come across their destination. The nurse stops in front of the door and faces Tony and Pepper.

“I need to tell you that the patient is under heavy medication that is keeping him asleep. He may not be responsive, but that doesn’t mean that you should refrain from talking to him. It will help with his recovery. I assume that he is familiar with the two of you, yes?”

“Yes,” Tony quickly answers. “We are… the only remaining family that he has.”

Nodding, the nurse continues. “There is a call bell located on his right next to the bed adjustment controls in case you need anything. A doctor or nurse will check in every couple of hours. Do the two of you have any questions?”

“No, thank you,” Pepper smiles at the nurse who returns the notion before walking away.

Tony wastes no time in entering the room followed closely by Pepper. He gasps when he sees Peter nearly fully cast. Both of his legs are propped up, but the right leg is in a sling. His right arm is laying on his torso under a pillow, and both are covered in the same body cast. Only his left arm is free, but the forearm is casted as well. A blue neck brace keeps his head in place, and there are tubes running out of his nose and mouth that leads to both a ventilator and a feeding bag. Both of his ears and the top of his head are wrapped in bandages, and what little skin is exposed on his face is covered in burn marks, and lacerations.

Speechless, Tony wobbles in place. He feels Pepper snake an arm around his waist to keep him from collapsing, and walks him to a chair placed by Peter’s left, and sits him in it. She leans into his head, and kisses him while running her nails across his back until he catches his breath. They are both crying at the sight of Peter who should never have had this happen. Tony hesitantly reaches over to gently wrap his hand around Peter’s bare fingers, and rubs them with his thumb. His skin feels so dry and cracked.

The door to the room opens and the nurse from before comes in with a packet in hand, “Miss Potts? We need to discuss the passing of May Parker, who was Peter Parker’s last living relative, and the terms of your guardianship concerning him.”

“Of course,” Pepper leaned up, and brought Tony’s gaze to hers. “I’ll be back soon.” She kissed him softly and then followed the nurse outside of the room.

Tony waited until the door was closed shut before sadly looking back to Peter. How was he supposed to tell him about May? How were he and Pepper supposed to deal with the aftermath when Peter came to and was able to understand the situation he was in? Tony hoped that Pepper would be the one to tell him. Empathy was never his strong suit. For a moment, guilt plagues his chest at the thought of pushing delivering the bad news onto Pepper. She didn’t deserve to be in that position, and neither did Tony. They never asked for this.

Peter never asked for this.

Tony thinks about lying. Thinks it’d be easier to tell Peter that she was in recovery, but then died shortly after she arrived to the ER. He thinks it’d be better than telling him that his aunt was found crushed underneath rubble. Or that her cause of death was trauma to the head. He knows that Peter would find out the truth eventually, so the idea is quickly snuffed out.

Tony sighs and scrubs his face with his other hand. He takes a moment to scan the room and sees a loveseat by the window where he can see Willets Point in the distance. A small round table is tucked in the corner with a couple more chairs surrounding it. He eyes the loveseat knowing it’s going to be his new bed for the upcoming weeks. It looks so tempting, but he doesn’t want to leave Peter’s side despite him being unresponsive.

He stares at the scarred fingers as he gently pets them with his thumb. He wants to say something, but he doesn’t know how. When Happy was in his coma, Tony barely spoke at all. He had the television turned to Happy’s favorite sitcom (the name escapes him), hoping it would bring him out of it. Tony stares at the television hanging on the wall for a second considering turning it on. All it would do is create unnecessary noise, and the beeping from the heart monitor was more than Tony could take.

“You know, I wasn’t sure if Pepper and I were gonna last,” the words are spilling from Tony’s mouth before he can stop himself. “Everything that I’ve done… everything that I’ve been through; she shouldn’t have to get herself mixed up in my bullshit. But, she does. I’ve always chalked it up to her just doing her job as my aid; never given thought to the possibility that it was out of love.

“I’ve had feelings, I guess, for Pepper for a very long time -- even before I became Iron Man -- but, I never faced them until a couple of years later. Right after the Expo incident, coincidentally enough.” Tony smirked, then reached over to brush away some of Peter’s curls out of his eyes. “It also was a coincidence that I briefly met you there too, kid. Your aim has gotten much better since then.” he briefly paused, half expecting for a response from Peter.

“Pep’s going hog-wild with the wedding coming up. You know she hired  _three_  wedding planners? Unbelievable, right? But, I guess she wants everything to be perfect for her dream wedding. She does deserve it. May was going to become a bridesmaid, and you… we chose you to become our ring bearer.”

Tony leaned away from Peter to straighten his back and stretch his arms. He let himself fall back into the semi-comfort of the chair, and stared out the window into the night sky. He was so exhausted, and that couch just twenty feet away was calling out to him. He groaned as he used his arms to push himself up and out of the chair and dragged his feet over to the white couch covered in blue floral decor. It reminded him of a similar sofa from his childhood that his mother used during her reading period; where Tony would occasionally join her and just lean on her shoulder, or lay on her lap as she read softly to him. Even the worn linen and the slight creaking of the wooden legs under his weight gave him slight nostalgia. He propped his left leg on the cushions at an angle, and let his right leg hang lazily off the side. He turned his head slightly into the back of the couch, but kept his eyes on Peter and watched him until his eyelids forced themselves closed.

 

* * *

 

Morning light shone through the large windows of the hospital stirring Tony out of his sleep. He turned himself downward into the crevices of the sofa, dragging the fleece blanket that was draped over him to cover his face. He groaned with slight frustration knowing that he wouldn’t be able to go back to sleep now that the sun had interrupted him. He felt his legs moving without any effort from him, and turned over to see Pepper making herself comfortable, and propping her elbow on the back of the couch looking at him.

“Morning,” she greeted with a smile.

“Hey,” Tony smiled back. He lifted himself up into a proper seating position to give Pepper more room, and leaned in to give her a kiss. “Where you here all night?”

“No,” she leaned on his shoulder. “I came back in at around eleven, and saw that you were completely out. So, I left and Happy drove me to a nearby hotel, which we will have for the next few weeks.”

“I’m fine with staying here until-”

“Tony,” Pepper interrupted with a stern look. “This couch can’t be comfortable to sleep on.”

“I’ve slept in worse places,” he defended himself, then pointed to the bathroom. “Plus, there’s a shower in there! Throw in crappy hospital food that tastes like cardboard, and I’m set for life.”

“Speaking of shower,” Pepper stood up from her seat and walked to the table where a duffle bag sat. “Happy brought you a couple of outfits.” she tossed it to Tony. “I also brought your tablet and laptop to entertain yourself -- Yes, the ones that have F.R.I.D.A.Y. installed.” she handed Tony the Stark Tablet. “And, I even cancelled any and all meetings, even important ones, due to a family emergency.”

“You are a godsend,” Tony praised while grabbing a long sleeve shirt, jeans, and wool socks from the bag.

“I’ve also got Happy bringing us breakfast,” Pepper added.

“Honey, you’re spoiling me,” Tony grinned heading for the bathroom. “Save some for the kid. He’ll need it.”

Tony spends a good hour in the shower, and comes out to be greeted by Happy sitting on the couch chowing down on a breakfast burrito. He nods to Tony and tosses him his food. Pepper is seated by Peter’s right, and is leaning over him whispering something that Tony can’t quite hear. She is gazing at him lovingly while running her fingers through his hair. Tony can’t help the warm feeling growing in his chest. He almost feels the need to interrupt with some kind of sarcastic remark, but it’s dropped when his gaze shifts to Peter who seems to be leaning into Pepper’s touch. Instead, he makes for the couch, and focuses on eating his burrito.

The rest of the day was spent pacing, lounging, and talking to Peter as if he could hear them (Tony hoped so). Every two hours on the dot, a nurse would enter to check the monitors, or change the feeding bag and urine drainage bag. Peter stayed completely motionless. Tony knows that it’s only the second day of recovery, but he expected to see some movement; even the smallest twitch. He’s looking over Peter when he notices that some of the burn marks, and cuts on his face are healing. It’s slow, but the healing factor is doing its job. This eases Tony even if just for a bit.

 

* * *

 

Pepper enters the room in a semi-formal outfit: a white sleeveless blouse paired with a black pencil skirt, and black peep-toe platform heels to match. Tony comments that she looks like she came straight from a dream he once had. She gives him a pointed look, and passes onto him a blue folder with papers from Midtown High School. There is a letter from both principal and vice principal stating that they approved Peter’s leave of absence due to the incident, as well as a form that Pepper will have to fill out. Tony does feel bad that she has to do all the paperwork herself, but he legally cannot interfere. At least not until they’re married.

Happy arrives with lunch, and he looks more annoyed than he usually does, Tony thinks. The sack of food is tossed onto the corner table, and he steps in front of Tony holding up his phone.

“I’ve been getting calls from that Ned kid all afternoon,” he whines. “Apparently he saw Pepper at the school, and wanted to know what was up with Peter.”

Shit. Tony forgot about Peter’s friend. He’s definitely heard about the incident by now, and he probably thinks that his best friend is dead. He pats Happy on the shoulder, and tells him that he’ll deal with it.

He looks at the time, and figures it’s around lunch time at the school. He’ll have to wait a few more hours to go and see the kid. Happy says that he’s more than willing to pick him up, and Tony declines the offer stating that he’s been cooped up in the room for the past three days; Some fresh air would do him good.

 

* * *

 

Tony is leaning against his audi parked at the entrance of the school’s drop-off and pick-up zone when he sees Ned among the sea of students bustling out the double doors. Ned looks up and immediately recognizes Tony who waves him over. He doesn’t have a chance to greet the teenager before questions are lobbed at him.

“How’s Peter? Is he hurt? Is he alive? Can I see him? When will he be able to come back to school? Is-”

“Whoa, whoa,” Tony interrupts by holding up a hand and placing two fingers over Ned’s mouth. “One step at a time, alright? I promise that I will answer all of your questions, but first: let’s take a drive, hm?” He opens the passenger door, and allows Ned to enter. He’s marvelling the interior which makes Tony smirk. He reminds himself he’ll need to take Peter for a ride some day.

Tony drives the both of them to Queensbridge. It’s an average size park with a spectacular view of Roosevelt Island and the Queensborough Bridge. They’re sitting in the shade snacking on a couple of hot dogs that Tony buys. Ned nearly devours his instantaneously, but Tony takes his time hoping to stretch out the inevitable. He can see the teen out of the corner of his eye staring eagerly.

“Mr. Stark,” Ned takes a deep breath before continuing. “Peter… is he…”

So, he does think that Peter is dead, and doesn’t want to face the truth. Tony decides now is the time to stamp out the thought. “Peter is alive.”

Ned beams. “Really? Can I see him?”

“Not yet,” Tony turns to him. “He’s in critical condition, and is currently in the ICU. He’s so drugged up, he hasn’t even stirred from his bed for the past three days.”

“Oh,” Ned hangs his head. “What happened to him, Mr. Stark?”

Tony tightens his mouth. His eyes close briefly as he attempts to erase the vision of Peter crushed and impaled beneath the building. “There was an explosion of some kind. No one knows what caused it yet.”

God willing, he’d get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing he’d ever do.

“Yeah, I saw the news,” Ned confirms. “I mean… where was he afterwards? Like, how did you find him?”

“He was… buried underneath a few hundred pounds of brick and cement,” Tony wasn’t about to tell him anything more; not yet.

“What about his aunt? Is she okay?” When Tony didn’t answer, and instead looked away to cough only for the noises that left him to be broken and unresponsive, a bad feeling developed in Ned’s stomach. “Oh my God. Is she… is she dead?” His voice was crying before his eyes had the chance.

“She didn’t make it.”

_I didn’t make it in time._

“I think I’m gonna be sick,” Ned scrambled up from his seat, and launched himself toward the nearest trash can.

So giving people greasy food before you tell them bad news was a terrible idea. He’d keep that in mind for Peter. When Ned was finished vomiting, Tony was at his side offering a cloth handkerchief. He took it with a gurgled thank you.

“Come on,” Tony used his hand to steer Ned back to the car. “I’ll take you home.”

It didn’t take long to drive to Ned’s apartment complex. The two men stayed silent under the intense hum of the audi until Ned, who only stared at his apartment building, broke the silence, “Mr. Stark, what’s going to happen to Peter?”

“What do you mean?”

Ned looked at him. “I mean… where is he going to live? He’s not going to be put in foster care, is he?”

“God no! I’d never let that happen to him! In fact,” Tony points a finger at Ned. “And you have to keep this a complete secret. Even from Peter, understand?”

Ned, nodded with full intent on following Tony’s every word. “I won’t say a word, sir.”

“After Pepper -- she’s my fiance; Pepper Potts; CEO of Stark Industries; you’ve heard of her, right? Of course you have. Now, after she and I get married, we’re planning on adopting Peter.”

“No way!” Ned shouts. “Peter’s gonna become a  _Stark_?!”

“Easy, Tiger,” Tony presses down on Ned’s shoulder to get him to stop bouncing in place in his car. “And, yes he is. If he’s okay with it, that is. We won’t force him to do anything he doesn’t want to. We won’t be telling him for a while until after he gets better and is able to leave the hospital, and we help him through his grief. It’s going to be a long road, you know that, right?”

“Yeah…”

“You know, you’re important in this too,” Tony smirked when Ned looked at him in surprise. “Being his best friend -- actually, you’re practically family with the way he rants about you all the time. You do play a large role in his life, and when there are times that neither Pepper nor I can be there for Peter, I want you to be by his side. So, therefore, when Peter moves in with us, I’m going to be giving you  _almost_  the same privileges that Happy gets.”

“Is he the grumpy security guy?” Ned asks warily.

Tony laughs aloud. “Yeah, that’s him! Anyway, you’ll practically be his very own eh… intel.”

“Guy in the chair,” Ned mumbles.

“Guy in the chair!” Tony snaps his fingers. “That’s a good one! From here out, that will be your official title.”

“Title?”

Tony reaches into his pocket for his phone. “Yeah, we’ll get together later and iron out the details. For now, just go on about your life as normal, and I’ll call you when something changes. I’ll give you Peter updates every few days. There we go! I’ve just transmitte my phone number to yours.”

Ned grabs his own phone and watches as the screen lights up with a text from an unknown number saying,  _This is Tony Stark_. Ending with a sunglasses emote because of course.

“Now, listen,” Tony leans in with an intense stare. “I am trusting you with my number. My  _personal_  number. This is not to be passed around at school so you can appear “cool” or whatever, nor is it to be used for stupid shit. This is very serious. Do  _not_  contact me unless it is an absolute emergency, understand? I don’t want to have to buy burner phones for the two of us. I’ve already got three that I can’t keep track of.”

“You can count on me, Mr. Stark. I won’t disappoint you.”

Tony pushes a button on his door, and Ned’s door opens. “See you later kid. And, it’s ‘Tony’ now.”

Ned backs up nervously, and almost trips on the curb. “Right, yeah. See you… Tony.”

Tony gives a false salute, and drives away.

 

* * *

 

A week later, Peter is pulled into emergency surgery. They tell Pepper and Tony that the bones in the middle ear of Peter’s left ear have become permanently damaged due to the explosion he was in. If left alone, an infection could appear that could result in mastoiditis.

Tony and Pepper are in the room where they perform x rays with Dr. Love who is doing his best to calm them, though Pepper is having none of it.

“How did you not notice this before?”

“We did during the xrays,” the doctor confirms, “but, the perforation to the eardrum was so small that it was no cause for alarm. Injuries like that heal within three weeks at most.” Love takes Peter’s x rays, and hangs them up on the view boxes. He points to what looks like a squiggly connecting to the cochlea. “These are the auditory ossicles; ear bones for short. Notice the tiny cracks along the length of it. This implies that Peter was within the vicinity of the blast, or at least very close to it.”

Pepper has her hand over her mouth. “Oh, God.”

“So his hearing is permanently damaged then?” Tony asks. “He’s going to be deaf?”

“Only in the left ear,” Love corrects him. “The eardrum in the right ear was slightly damaged, so when he comes to, he may have difficulty processing noise. It will feel imbalanced. Try to stay on his right when you talk to him. There may be a chance for cochlear surgery in the future, but with his other injuries, I don’t want to take that risk just yet. We will do the best we can, although some discomfort may be caused due to the tearing of the tympanic membrane.”

“Discomfort?” questioned Pepper.

“As in ringing or buzzing in the ear. Sometimes it’s constant; it varies between patients.”

A nurse popped into the room, “Doctor, you’re needed in the ER.”

“Be right there,” he turned back to Pepper and Tony. “I will have copies of Peter’s x rays delivered to you, as well information about noise-induced hearing loss, and possible treatments. By this time, your son has been returned to his room. Please, excuse me.”

As the doctor left, Pepper couldn’t help but look at her fiance dumbfoundedly. He forced a smile as he rested an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her into his chest. He kissed her forehead lovingly, when she responded with silent crying. She had been so strong during the entire ordeal, it was only a matter of time before she cracked. Tony saw it coming. He had his time to grieve and blame himself. Now, it was his turn to be there for Pepper.

“We’ll be alright, Pep,” he whispered into her hair. “We’ll get through this.”

“I know,” she wiped away her tears, and straightened herself, but still kept some of her weight on Tony’s shoulder as he lead them out of the room, and back to Peter. “Besides, we need to be strong for our son.”

Tony smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man I just need to add the 'Peter Whump' tag because I am NOT making it easy for this kid and he's not even awake yet!   
> Just when it seems everything is going smoothly, another wrench is thrown into the machine.   
> If ya'll think this is bad, just wait until next chapter 8>


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Pepper get their first run of parenting after Peter wakes up from his coma.
> 
> (Chapter may contain sensitive material.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm gonna take a bit of a break from writing this story. I have other fics in mind that I wanna get out of my head, and it's distracting me from completing this one. So, don't expect a new chapter for at least two weeks. A month at most. 
> 
> As always, thank you all for taking the time to read my whumpy fic and torturing your feelings for the greater good :>  
> Love you all! <3

Nearly two weeks since the incident is when Peter wakes from his coma. Pepper was the first to notice as she was sitting closest to him distracted by her tablet. She heard the bed sheets shift and looked up to see Peter squinting in minor discomfort at the brightness of the room. He uses his left arm (which was healed and uncast) to shield his vision, and she watches as he confusingly scans his surroundings. He settled on Pepper, and blinked at her.

“Hey there,” Pepper greeted softly. 

Tony, who was lounging on the couch and mindlessly watching the television, sat up turning around and jumped up as soon as he realized who Pepper was talking to. He casually strolled over to the bed, remembering to stay on Peter’s right side. 

“Welcome back to the land of the living, kid.” he offered a smile.

Peter only frowned and looked between the two adults over at Happy, and then at the table which had been littered with fast food sacks and drink containers. He reached up to feel the mask, and practically ripped it off with protest from Pepper. Breathing in real air, he finally focused his attention to Tony.

“I’m hungry.”

Tony laughed. He looked back at Happy who only rolled his eyes and grabbed a burger out of one of the sacks and tossed it at Peter. Pepper immediately snatched it up and reminded them that Peter needed to have his feeding tube removed first. Peter reached out for the burger with quivered lips. Pepper was unfazed. 

“That doesn’t work on me, kid. This is for your own good.” she pointed at him with the burger in hand just to tease him.

Peter huffed and sunk back into his pillow. He then looked between the two of them, and then turned his head slowly before settling back on them. Worriness flashed his features. “Uhm, why does everything sound like I’m trapped in a fish bowl?” 

“Really, kid?” Tony stares at him. “That’s the description you use?” 

“Well, it does!” Peter defends himself. “In my right ear, everything is echoey and dumbed down, and I can’t hear anything out of my left ear, except a very light, but very annoying whistling.” he pauses, “Actually, it’s more like someone attempting to whistle but is just blowing air.”

“Yeah, that would be the damage done by the incident you were in a couple of weeks ago,” Tony confirms.

Peter blinks at him. 

“The what?” 

It catches Tony and Pepper off guard. They look at each other before Tony carefully continues, “Do you not remember, Peter?”

Peter is mumbling to himself, but is loud enough that they can hear, “Incident?… couple weeks…” 

“You’ve been in a coma for the past twelve days, Peter.” Pepper offers. 

That is when Peter really gets a good look at himself. He notices how his right leg and arm are both cast. He sees the splint on his left thigh. He notices a layer of second degree burn scars that decorate his torso, and half of his face and neck. He feels around his head with his free arm, and feels the bandages covering his left ear and head. He’s in pretty bad shape. Why can’t he remember anything? 

He looks at Tony for help, but asks in desperation, “Does Aunt May know?”

Peter doesn’t like the look any of the three adults give him. It’s a mix of anguish and fear. He tries again, despite the fact that they are ignoring his questions. 

“Where is she? Is she here?”

Happy steps to the side saying he’s going to get a nurse. Stammering as he does so. Peter feels his heart racing faster with each passing second. He doesn’t like the feeling developing in his gut. He hopes that it’s an injury from whatever accident he was in. 

“Peter,” Tony sits on the edge of the bed. The way he gently says Peter’s name; the way that he looks at him. Peter hasn’t seen him like this since he apologized a few months ago. “You were in an explosion. At your apartment.” 

That must have been the trigger, because when Peter’s eyes widen and he gasps, and then the realization sinks in as he stares up at Tony with wet eyes that beg, and plead. Tony wishes that he could answer all of Peter’s internal questions positively. Assure him that everything is alright, and within another couple of weeks he’ll be fully healed, and lead to a brand new apartment that Tony built and paid for out of his own pocket so that Peter and May can live without any worries because God knows that if anyone deserves a break, it’s the two of them. 

“What happened to her?” Peter’s voice shakes. He gets no response from Tony who just stares at him with an intense posture, and when Peter gazes down he sees why. He’s holding onto both of his hands, trying to stop himself from shaking and delving further into a panic attack. 

“Is she okay?” he turns to Pepper who immediately looks away, hand over her mouth.

“Peter…” Tony’s voice is unsteady but he forces himself to continue, “May… May is dead.” 

Peter sags even further into the pillow and mattress. He looks like a rag doll with tears flowing from his crystal glass eyes. His face crumples and he looks away from Tony and Pepper. He tries to make sense of it all. 

“No,” the wavering tone makes Tony’s heart drop. He looks at Pepper who is wiping at her eyes. “No, that can’t … that can’t be. I threw myself in front of her!  _I_  took the brunt of the blast! I’m -- I’m the one who should be dead.” 

“Peter, no!” Pepper leaned forward placing a hand on his shoulder gently. “That’s not true. None of this should have happened.”

“How do you know that she’s dead?” Peter asked desperately through heavy sobbing. “How do you know she’s not in recovery somewhere? How do you… how do you know?…”

Tony clasped his hand around Peter’s which prompted him to look up at his mentor. “I know because I found her.” Peter gasped which sprung more tears. “Pepper and I were at our home in Miami when we saw the newsfeed of the aftermath. I rushed here as fast as I possibly could, but it still took me over two hours to find you and May. You both were practically buried underneath the building. Peter, I’m so sorry.”

Peter’s body collapsed and he let out a horrible noise of agony before hunching over. Tony felt his hand tighten and he did nothing as Peter cried miserably. The quickening of his own breathing started drowning out Peter’s wailing. He unlatched his hand from Peter, who didn’t even seem to notice and instead brought his hand up to his face to cry into it. Tony was clutching his chest, and he could have sworn that he heard Pepper say his name. The concerning stare she was giving him confirmed it.

He stood up, looked between Peter and Pepper and all but ran out of the room. 

Pepper could only look onward as Tony disappeared out of the door. She focused her attention on Peter who was turned away. She reached over to the side of the bed, and pushed the call button. She then took Tony’s place on the bed, and forced Peter to look at her. She rubbed her thumbs over his cheeks before leaning in to kiss his forehead. He grasped her right hand in his left and leaned into her soft touch. 

Minutes passed before a nurse entered the room. Pepper nodded at the man who was beginning to work on the ventilator. She faced Peter again, “I’m going to let them work on you, okay? I will be back in a bit.”

“Mr. Stark left,” Peter looked hurt.

“He will be back too,” she kissed his head again. “I promise.” 

“You won’t abandon me?”

“Oh, Peter, we would never leave you!” Pepper rose from her seat and made her way to the door. “We’ll bring you back some food, okay?” 

She was only content with leaving when Peter nodded in affirmation.

 

* * *

 

Tony was found outside of the building hunched against a wall. His body was intently shaking, and he developed the hiccups which only made things worse. Happy is seen squatted beside him and was doing his best to run Tony through his breathing exercises. His expertise lies with protecting his clients, not comforting them. The minute that Pepper arrives on scene is when Happy feels most relieved. She smiles at him, and gives him something to do. Something that he is familiar with. He is grateful and he gives Tony one look of pity before leaving.

Pepper sits by Tony’s side and waits until his breathing returns to normal before saying anything. “Tony, you shouldn’t have ran off like that.” 

“I can’t do this,” he whispers harshly. He leans against the wall, his head thudding against the rough plaster. “I don’t know why I thought I could do this. This parenting bullshit,” he looks at Pepper, and he’s not sure if he likes the stone cold gaze she’s giving him. 

“Tony,” ironically enough, her voice is tender with no hint of malice. She had a way of confusing him sometimes. “So, that’s it then? You’re just going to turn your back on Peter? Leave him now when he’s most vulnerable?” 

“I can barely take care of  myself much less another human being, Pep!” Tony immediately regret snapping at her. “I’m sorry, but we both know how my track record with people is. They eventually leave.”

“You think that of me then?” she asked incredulously. “Of Happy? Of Rhodey? Do you actually think that Peter is going to one day think that you no longer matter to him?” 

Tony tried to look away when shame creeped up on him, but Pepper does not allow it. “Look at me, Tony. That kid loves you. Not Iron Man, but you. You have been his hero for almost his whole life! If he hasn’t gotten bored of you yet, then I don’t think that’s going to ever happen!”

“Living with me is a whole different ball game. You even know that,” he stared blankly. 

“I’m still here,” Pepper caressed his face. “I still love you very much. And, inside that hospital is a hurt kid who just woke up to the worst news of his life, who thinks that you want nothing to do with him. Tony, he pleaded with me to not abandon him, because he thought you did.”

Tony’s stomach dropped. Pepper brought him into a gentle embrace on her chest, and repeatedly kissed the top of his head. 

“Isolating yourself won’t be good for either of you,” she continued. “He needs you to be there for him, Tony. He doesn’t have anyone else.”

“He has you,” Tony says leaning up to face her . 

“I won’t be enough,” she states with tears running down her face. Tony hates that. “You and Peter are inseparable when you’re together. You have a bond with him that I could never understand or have,” she points at him. “If you ignore him in his time of need, it’s as good as turning your back on him. I can’t help him on my own, Tony. He needs you, just like how I need you to support me now.” 

“I’m not trying to be selfish.”

“I know that,” Pepper does understand, “But, right now, we need to be the adults. We need to be comforting, and understanding. You and I will be there for each other, but we need to put on a tough face in front of Peter.” 

Tony nods, “You’re right. You’re right,” He stands and helps Pepper to her feet. “I’m gonna… I’m gonna go and talk to him.” 

Pepper aims to speak, but is interrupted by her phone. She sighs when she sees the ID. “Unfortunately, I do have to take this one. I have Happy being food runner again, so he should be back shortly. Love you.” She kisses Tony before turning her attention to the call.

“I love you, too,” Tony says before walking slowly back inside. 

 

* * *

 

Peter was sound asleep when Tony returned to the room. He noticed the ventilator was gone, and the feeding bag had been removed. He moved the chair next to Peter closer now that he had more room, and made himself comfortable watching him breathe evenly in his sleep. The doctors must have still had him under heavy medication. Tony could only imagine what that was doing to Peter’s senses. He wonders if the doctors knew about Peter’s mutated blood. No one had said anything about it. Maybe Pepper had the staff sign non-disclosure agreements. It was the only explanation that he could think of.

Every so often, Peter’s face grimaced and he would mutter incoherently. Probably nightmares about reliving the incident. Tony wished with all his might that he could soothe Peter through his grief. He knew better than anyone how alone he felt after his parents died, and how just the simple task of living became increasingly more difficult. 

Simple tasks such as eating, sleeping, or even breathing became a challenge. Tony eventually hit rock bottom and didn’t even care if he woke up the next day or not. He remembers counting on the latter, and almost aided himself by swallowing half a bottle of painkillers one day. Fortunately, he hadn’t counted on Obie walking in on him, and the man picked Tony up over his shoulders, and threw him into the back seat of his car. Tony remembers the light feeling of speeding down the street to the nearest hospital, and strangely enough, he doesn’t remember Obie obeying any street traffic laws. 

Obviously, the man didn’t get arrested, and instead paid off his fines and avoided jail time by stating that he needed to be there for Tony, who Obie described as: severely depressed and suicidal. He wasn’t wrong. Though, given how Obie turned out years into the future, it briefly crossed Tony’s mind of why didn’t he just let the mourning teenager off himself so that he could then take over the company? Tony pretty quickly learned that it was because his suicide would leave a bad strike on the company’s reputation, and Obie would lose everything that Howard had built, and would eventually have to file for bankruptcy. Who would ever want to be associated with a company that has a horrible track record like the Stark family has? 

Tony then decided that if he had to put effort in living, then he would never allow anyone to become close to him. He would never get married. He would never have kids. He would never allow the people he loved to see him at his worst ever again. Miraculously, he managed to fail at all of his goals. Tony Stark has never failed at anything before. Never given up on anything. 

“Mr. Stark?” 

Tony brought himself out of his thoughts to focus on the kid lying in the hospital. The kid in front of him who lost everything in the short fifteen years of his life. Who gazed at him with hope in his eyes. Who smiled weakly at him. 

“You came back.” 

A decision was made right then that Tony never wanted Peter to feel forgotten ever again. He leaned down without thinking and kissed him on his crown. 

“I’ll never leave you, Peter. I promise.” 

Peter’s arm reached around Tony’s back, and pulled him closer. He wrapped his own arms around Peter in a show of good faith. His chin rested on top of Peter’s head and allowed him to cry himself back to sleep. 

 

* * *

 

“I was hoping it was all a bad dream.” 

Tony looked on as Peter stared wistfully at the ceiling. “I wish it was, kid.”

“Did you mean what you said before?” 

“I did,” Tony replied with no hesitation. “In fact, as of twelve days ago, you are legally in the care of Pepper.”

“Miss Potts?” Peter was confused.

Tony nodded. “She was the one who went to court the day of, and filed for temporary guardianship.” 

“Oh,” Peter’s features lightened. “That’s really nice of her.” 

“Yeah,” Tony agreed. Pepper was going to be a great mom. “What about you? Are… are you okay? I know it’s a generic question, and totally inappropriate given the circumstances. Of course you’re not okay, I don’t know what I --”

“Mr. Stark, it’s fine,” Peter interrupts. “I understand what you meant. I just…. I just can’t believe that she’s gone. Forever.” 

“Hey,” Tony leans in to be at eye-level with Peter. “I understand where you’re at right now. Life is going to suck for a little while, the recovery process is never pretty, but I promise you that both Pep and I will be there for you every step of the way. We will not let you be alone.” 

It was when Tony was left alone to grieve that he developed his alcoholism and drug usage. Mainly to forget his trauma, and he’ll be damned if he let Peter follow down his same path. 

“I appreciate it, Mr. Stark,” Peter lays back onto the bed. He fiddles with a few loose threads on the hem of the blanket he’s under. “I don’t know what I’m going to do without her.”

“You’ll figure it out, kid. You’re smart like that.” 

Peter gives a half-smile in return not entirely convinced. Tony finds himself staring at the area between Peter’s right shoulder and chest. “How’s your chest feeling?”

Peter is confused, “Uhm, okay I guess?” he looks over himself to see if Tony noticed anything he didn’t before. “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing,” Tony replies quickly. “Just wondering.”

Peter stares at Tony for a minute and notices that he keeps stealing glances at that one spot on his shoulder. It did feel stranger than before. As did one area near his stomach. Tony probably wanted to ask about something specific considering that he was the one who found Peter. No one had actually gone over with him what his injuries were aside from the obvious broken bones, and his now limited hearing. 

“So,” Peter began, turning his gaze to Tony who looked up at him. “Am I gonna have to learn sign language now?”

“That’s up to you,” Tony says. “The doctor did mention that surgery is possible in the future. We could get you cochlear implants. It’s ultimately your decision, though.”

Peter nods, “Everything still sounds so far away. It feels weird only having sound travel through one ear and not both. I feel like I have to yell in order to hear myself.”

“You have been louder since you woke up,” Tony smirks at Peter’s annoyed stare. 

“You’re so funny,” the remark was sarcastic and said with a smile. Tony laughed along. 

The quip was just enough to break the air of awkward silence between them for a little bit. Tony slouched in the chair tapping his fingers against his knees absentmindedly. He focused on the wall past Peter who was trying to make himself comfortable. Tony felt like he needed to distract the kid from the situation he was in, and from dwelling too much on May. There was only so much that he himself could do. He hated feeling so useless.

The tapping on his knee stopped as he brought up his watch to his face. Tony bit his bottom lip as he argued with himself if the idea he suddenly had was a good one or not. Taking a glance at Peter before rising from his seat solidified his motivation. Before leaving, he grabbed half of a hoagie out of a white bag that sat on the table in the corner, and tossed it to Peter who caught it without looking up. At least his reflexes were still on point. 

“I gotta take off for a little bit,” Tony put on his jacket. The scared look on Peter’s face tore at him. “It’s only for a short time -- maybe an hour. But I gotta go and get something that I think you’ll like.”

Peter eyed Tony for a few seconds before nodding and then slowly tearing at the wrapper. He really didn’t feel as hungry as he was before learning of May’s death, but he’d at least try. The sandwich was in his mouth when he felt a peck against his forehead. He looked up at Tony wide eyed who seemed unsurprised at his own actions. 

“See you soon, Pete,” Tony ruffled the bare locks on Peter’s head before heading out the door. He stopped, turned around and jogged back over to the table to pick up what looked like a small stack of letters. He placed them in Peter’s lap. “A couple are from Rhodey, and Vision. The rest I collected from your ‘Guy In the Chair’ who tells me a bunch of kids at your school say that they miss you and all that jazz. Take some time to read ‘em, will you?” Tony gave Peter one last nod before heading out the door.

 

* * *

 

The letters that come from school mostly have the same robotic phrases of, “We miss you!” and “Get well soon!” and “It’s not the same without you!”. Peter scoffed at how thoughtless they read. None of these people gave him so much as a second glance, and he knew it was an act of pity. That made him more irritated the more he thought about it, so he just tossed them aside onto the chair. Some landing on the floor, but he didn’t care. They’d all be going to the trash anyway.

The last bundle of cards were from Ned and his family, and two singles: one from Rhodey, and the other from Vision. Peter took his time opening and reading these. Enjoying the well wishes of the people closest to him. 

Ned’s mother actually sent him a hand written letter that lasted three full pages. Her writing was large but thin cursive, and he could faintly smell perfume lingering on the pages. It invoked instant nostalgia from when he’d spend the night at Ned’s and his mother, a short Filipino woman, in the kitchen preparing a feast just for Peter when he mentioned that he had never had Filipino cuisine before. She and her husband had gone out of their way and created a smorgasbord fit for a king. 

Peter remembers eyeing the fully cooked pig sitting in the middle of the dining table as if it were a foreign animal. He’d only seen pig in slices of ham; never the full body. Ned mentioned that they called it lechon, and it was a meal prepared for celebrations. 

“What are we celebrating?” Peter asked. 

“Your initiation,” Ned stated. “You are now an honorary Filipino!” 

They both laughed at their joke, but Ned’s mother agreed earnestly. She made sure to dish up a bit of everything they had laid out on the table onto Peter’s plate. By the end of the night he had developed a newfound love for several dishes. Especially the sisig, and suman. For dessert, he was presented a parfait with what looked like a scoop of purple ice cream. It tasted strange, but not bad. 

He laughed at Vision’s card because it had Rhodey’s handwriting. Who had made a small annotation at the bottom of the signature stating that Vision doesn’t know how to express empathy and it was the third time he attempted to write. 

Rhodey’s letter was well structured, and it didn’t feel fake. He made a point to speak about Peter’s good traits, and mentioned that he was always available to talk about anything. It did give Peter comfort to know that he had people to rely on. People who he never thought he’d even get the pleasure of meeting, much less spending time with. 

The door to Peter’s room opened, and his eyes met Pepper’s who smiled at him. She set her purse on the couch (corner table was cluttered) and stopped to look at the mess of letters on the chair. She looked at Peter confused. 

“Sorry,” Peter became embarrassed by his trivial act. “Those are the cards from my peers at school.”

“Ah, not a fan of false sympathy I see.” She gathered up the bundle, even picked up the ones off the floor, and tossed them all into a trash bin near the door. 

At least Pepper understood. 

“I’m sorry it took me so long to return,” She sat on the couch and took off her heels. Humming in the satisfaction of having them off, and situated herself so that she was laying on her side facing him. Peter figured it was because she didn’t want him to feel crowded, and he appreciated that. “I’ve got social services up my ass at the moment.”

Peter laughed at her quip. “I thought that you were in the clear with the ‘temporary guardianship’ thing?”

“You know about that, now?” 

“Yeah, Mr. Stark told me,” Peter nodded. “Thank you, by the way. You didn’t have to do that.”

“Peter,” Pepper leaned up further and pointed at him. “If there’s anything that I’ve learned from Tony, it’s that you never do things because you  have  to; You do them because you want to. I wanted to make sure that you were safe and protected, and not have to go through all the loops of the foster care system.” 

Peter honestly felt blessed that one of the most revered women on earth would take time out of her busy life to care for him in his hour of need. Her company was comforting to say the least. She was easy to talk to, and always listened with earnest intent. He had seen some of the interviews that starred Pepper, and he was mesmerized by her masterful facade. The scripted smiles and laughs were very different from what he experienced face-to-face with the woman. Pepper was the type of person to reserve her best for the people who deserved her at her best, and no one else would be given the pleasure. 

 

* * *

 

Tony did return later to find his fiance and son watching a movie on HBO. 

“I know I said an hour,” Tony holds up a hand in an apologetic gesture. “But, trust me, this is worth the wait.”

“What, did you sign the adoption papers, too?” Peter joked.

Tony’s nervous laugh caught Peter off guard, but he continued, “No, in fact, I’ve brought you a visitor.”

Peter frowned, “I’m not really in the mood for visitors, Mr. Stark.”

“I think you’ll like this one,” Tony said factually. He turned to the doorway, and waved whoever it was to come further. 

The smooth transition on Peter’s face from irritation to relief to radiance was absolutely priceless and Tony wished that he had a camera on disposal. The miniscule clicking sound to his left caught his attention, and there Pepper was with her phone in hand capturing the moment. He knew he could count on her. 

Ned stood a foot from the bed with a large tote bag hung on his right shoulder. He had an equally large grin on his face just from the sight of his best friend. 

“Hey, Pete.” 

Peter’s face instantaneously switched gears as tears poured down his cheeks, and he sobbed while laughing. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything coherently, so he just held out his left arm as an invitation, and Ned shuffled over to the bed after setting the tote bag down, and embraced Peter.

Peter could see Pepper rise up from the couch from the corner of his eye, and watched as she and Tony leave to give the two boys some privacy. 

Ned gets a thorough look at Peter after he pulls back. His gaze is so soft and so observing that Peter doesn’t even feel nervous. Ned isn’t here to judge him for how he’s been scarred (which will hopefully go away soon due to his healing). He looks like he’s genuinely curious, but also doesn’t want to step over any boundaries that may be too sensitive. 

Ned uses his finger to lightly trace over some of the burn scars on Peter’s face. He trails over the bright pink and bumpy swellings that cover Peter’s left and slowly degrade once they travel through to the right side. It’s leathery to the touch but Peter does not pull away, or flinch. Instead, he leans in and invites Ned’s fingers to spread and cup his face in the palm of his hand. 

“I missed you,” Peter breathes, “So much.”

Ned uses his thumb to wipe away the threat of more tears that pool around Peter’s eyes. 

“I missed you too, man.” 

He pulls up the tote bag that he set on the floor. The bottom is warm, and smells amazing. 

“Oh my God,” Peter gasps. “Is that… pork sisig?” 

Ned laughs, “Yeah! Mom made an entire dish just for you.” 

“Mama Leeds, I love you.” There are happy tears in Peter’s eyes. Ned lets him shed these ones. 

Ned dishes out the sisig onto clean plates he brought with him. Peter eats about half of his portion, and pokes at it absentmindedly while talking to Ned, hoping that he won’t notice. He does, but says nothing. Instead, he takes the plate out of Peter’s grasp, and shoves the left over food back into the ceramic dish, and it’s placed back into the bag. 

“Mom says you can take the rest home to eat later,” Ned says placing the bag back down on the floor. “How have you really been though?”

Peter tightens his lips and his brow furrows. 

“Peter,” Ned stares at him. “Please don’t lie to me.”

“I don’t…” Peter’s voice starts to shake, and at last, his face crumbles into raw emotion. “... I don’t want to be alive.” 

He feels so ashamed of his conviction that when he looks at Ned, he expects disgust, or anger, or fear. Not the soft, understanding gaze he’s given. Peter is reminded that he is allowed to be himself in this moment. It’s only him and Ned. No one else is around to judge him, or try to analyze his feelings. He is allowed to feel vulnerable and safe simultaneously. His shoulders sag in relief and he begins to explain.

“Everything just feels so empty,” Peter places his left hand over his chest. “There’s been an invisible weight ever since. Simple tasks like eating, and talking are exhausting for me. But, I can’t let them know. Miss Potts and Mr. Stark; they’ve done so much for me. Even offered to take me in!

“Why did she have to die?” His shaking has worsen and he closes his eyes only to rapidly open them again. He can hear her final scream before the explosion forced them out of the window of their apartment. 

His left arm is being torn away from his chest and he forces himself to look into Ned’s eyes. “Why couldn’t it have been me? I was in the line of fire, so by all logic it  _should_  have been me!”

Ned stays quiet while caressing Peter’s hand who tightens his grip a bit. His voice is barely over a whisper, “I’m scared, Ned.” 

Peter feels Ned fold himself around his body, and instinctively buries his face into Ned’s shoulder. 

“I know that I have them, and I have you. I’m sorry for being so selfish and pathetic!” 

Peter is jerked out of his comfort zone by Ned who grasps him by the shoulders, “Peter! You are the least selfish person I know! You’ve been through a horrible event that I can’t even imagine myself in. It’s not selfish to feel the way that you are! But, like you said: you have Mr. Stark, Miss Potts, and me to help you. We want to help you, if you’ll let us! I don’t want to lose you after fearing that you were dead the first couple of days after your apartment exploded! I love you, Peter! Please, let me help you.”

Peter didn’t answer straight away. He stilled himself against Ned who gently rubbed his back. Small whifts of cheap spray-on cologne emitted from his neck, but Peter didn’t mind it much at the moment. Left hand curling around the fabric of Ned’s hoodie; afraid to let him go. 

“Ned,” Peter sniffled. “I’m not sure I want help at all.”

“Okay,” Ned nods sadly. “That’s… that’s okay.” 

He peels himself away from Peter who immediately regrets his words, “Ned, wait!”

“I have to get home,” Ned straightens his hoodie before looking at Peter. He wants to get back into the bed with him and comfort him, but he knows his parents would not approve of him staying all night. 

So, he puts a hand on Peter’s shoulder and he doesn’t even notice the tears forming on his own face, “I will be back in a couple of days, okay? Will you please promise me that you won’t do anything stupid? ...At least, not yet? Please?”

Peter clasps his hand around Ned’s and squeezes, and then says with strong conviction, “I promise. I love you, bro. Thanks for coming to see me.” 

“Love you too, man.”

Ned slowly drags his feet to the exit. He takes one last look at Peter and lazily waves. Peter returns the gesture. Ned makes his way to the waiting area where Tony and Pepper are talking. Tony basically launches himself off his seat and jogs over to Ned. 

“Done already? You weren’t even in there for an hour.” 

Ned almost hesitates in answering, “Yeah, no, it was great! I just have to get home at a certain time so…”

“Say no more,” Tony wraps an arm around Ned’s shoulders and they start to walk. Tony turns back to Pepper and tells he that he’ll return shortly. 

They’re in the audi and Tony is talking to Ned, who is having a hard time focusing on the conversation. He’s debating whether or not to tell Tony about what Peter said during his visit. By the way Tony and Pepper act, they have no idea what he’s really going through. Peter did admit that he was hiding his pain from them out of guilt. Ned didn’t think that was healthy, but he also didn’t want to betray Peter’s trust. 

He looks over Tony, who has seen better days, and imagines Peter with the same sunken in eyes that dart quickly between targets in order to generate focus. Clammy skin that has paled due to malnutrition and is feeding off of whatever body fat he has left in order to sustain itself. The way he stutters and flinches. Ned decides that he doesn’t want any of that for Peter.

“...even taking the news of May’s death like a champ,” he hears Tony say. 

“Mr. Stark, wait,” Ned cuts him short and almost apologizes when Tony looks offended. “I… Peter really isn’t doing so great.” 

“What do you mean?” His tone is tight and demanding. 

Ned takes a deep breath, and nearly breaks when he explains his visit to Peter in better detail. Tony can only stare ahead of him in shock and silence as he turns into the lot of Ned’s apartment complex. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's okay to have other people help you in your time of need. 
> 
> It's okay to be vulnerable and helpless sometimes.
> 
> It's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, my name is Goofatron, and welcome to Jackass.
> 
> (Chapter may contain sensitive material.)

Tony has never felt so stupid in his entire life. Of course the kid wasn’t doing better; he just found out his aunt died. At first, he admired Peter’s resilience and being able to put on a strong face in front of him and Pepper.

No.

That wouldn’t do. Being emotional was an important part of the grieving process that Peter should never have denied himself. Sure, he did react upon first hearing of the aftermath, but he pushed his emotions aside afterwards, and tried to continue on as normal.

Tony couldn’t believe he never noticed. Or maybe he did, and wanted to go along with it to avoid having to deal with Peter’s grief. He hated himself for accepting that.

Turning on the ‘AI Mode’ for the car to drive itself back to the hospital, Tony took out his phone and sent an emergency text to Pepper.

_ Are you with Peter? _

A quick reply came.  _ Yes. He’s acting strange. I think something happened between him and Ned. _

_ Something did. I’ll explain when I get there. _

* * *

 

They met outside of the room. Tony pulled her a bit further away unsure if Peter’s enhanced hearing would be able to pick them up. 

“Has he said anything to you?” Tony started.

“Nothing,” Pepper answered. “He looks distraught, and I’ve tried to ask him if something was wrong. He didn’t answer me. He wouldn’t look at me. Are you sure it was a wise idea to bring Ned here?”

“Yes,” Tony nods. “Otherwise… look, I need to try and talk to him right now. I know that I said I’d explain as soon as I got back, but I  _ need  _ to do  _ this  _ right now.”

“Please don’t keep me in the dark,” Pepper pleads.

Tony kisses her. “You know I won’t. Just give me some time first.”

“I’ll be in the waiting area.”

Pepper leaves and Tony goes to stand in front of the door. He takes a deep breath for preparation, then steps through. Peter is staring blankly at the TV, probably not even paying attention to whatever show is on.

His eyes are red, and he’s occasionally sniffling. He looks so tender laying there, and Tony feels like this is the first time he’s seen him in person. He steps a bit closer into Peter’s vision, who’s eyes shift in his direction, and it’s like he performed a one-eighty.

“Hey, Mr. Stark!”

Peter’s demeanor changes immediately. Tony notices how he quickly sits up, peeling away from his comfort zone. How his eyes crinkle as they’re forced in simultaneous motion with the creases of his mouth. Tony feels like he’s face to face with an imposter.

“Hey, kid,” he forces a smirk; it makes him feel sick. Tony reaches for the remote laying on Peter’s lap, and turns the television off. He purses his lips before continuing, “We need to talk.”

“About what?” Peter asks.

“About how you’re… handling all of this.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Listen,” Tony sits on the edge of the bed; Never breaking eye contact with Peter. “You don’t have to put up a strong front. You are allowed to be selfish in this moment of your life. You are not required to appease me, or Pepper, or Happy in any way.”

Peter’s demeanor reverts to its dispassionate state and he gives Tony a steely gaze. “Ned told you, didn’t he?”

“Kid, he’s only looking out for you,” Tony assured softly. “We’re all trying our best to help you. To do what’s best for you, if you cou-”

“What do  _ you  _ know what’s best for me?” Peter snaps. It shuts Tony up. “If you even gave a damn about what I wanted, we wouldn’t be here!”

“Hey,” Tony tries to butt in but Peter doesn’t let him.

“Do you think I want to be here? Stuck in a hospital bed mourning my dead aunt while you and everyone else prance around acting like you give a shit, and pretending to know how I feel?”

Tony is startled by Peter’s sudden outburst and feels his throat thickening. He wants Peter to know that he’s not faking his sympathy. All he can do though is jitter his jaw silently. Staring at Peter wailing in front of him. The louder he gets, the more Tony shakes.

“I never asked for your help,” Peter cried. “I never wanted your help. Not like this.” He wipes away his tears and his jaw is clenched tightly. Lips compressed like he’s forcing himself to stay quiet. It fails.

“Why couldn’t you just let me die?”

It’s a split-second reaction that doesn't even register with Tony until after he recoils his hand against his chest. He can’t believe what he’s just done, and almost denies it. The stinging sensation coursing through his hand reminds him differently. He examines his hand for a second before looking back at Peter who is nursing his cheek and staring at him so sadly, Tony feels like he might start to cry himself.

Peter looks away from him, sniffling with endless tears cascading down his face. At least he physically knows the effect his words has on Tony. But this isn’t how any of this was supposed to go. They were supposed to come to an understanding that Peter is allowed to mourn (either in front of other people, or privately), but is not allowed to hide his pain.

Peter wanted to die. There were times where teenagers and even adults baited other’s emotionally with the threat of suicide, but Tony knew better. Because he had been there, and he knew based on tone alone, that Peter truly wanted to die. He didn’t want anyone’s help or sympathy and that struck a raw nerve.

Hesitantly, Tony reached over to Peter who had his gaze focused on the floor. He must have sensed Tony because he flinches away before Tony’s fingers can graze across the plain texture of the hospital gown he’s wearing. The reaction makes Tony’s stomach drop.

“Don’t touch me,” Peter says. “Just go away. I don't want you here.”

It takes all of Tony’s will power to force his body off the bed and out the door without looking back. He finds it’s one of the hardest things he’s ever had to do.

The next few minutes are a blur as Tony makes a beeline for Pepper who is standing in the middle of the waiting room, staring up at the TV. Tony startles her by grabbing onto her arm and pulling her out of the hospital without saying a word.

“Tony, what the hell is going on?”

She’s ignored as he maintains his firm grip and realizes that they’re making their way towards the parking lot. Pepper feels a pang of dread and begins to imagine the bad scenarios that could have lead to this moment. Did Tony and Peter get into a fight? Was Tony doubting himself again? Did he just want to go on a drive to get away from the hospital scene?

The passenger door opened and Pepper glanced over at Tony. He didn’t say anything. Only holding the door open waiting for her to get in. So she did. It’s when Tony enters the driver’s side that the floodgates open and he’s openly sobbing in front of her. Head in hands complete with waterworks. His hands grip the steering wheel for balance so he doesn’t fall forward and injure himself.

“Oh my God,” Pepper gasps. “What the hell happened in there?!”

Her heart breaks when he looks at her with the most deflated expression she’s ever seen. Tony never openly expresses himself in front of anyone. Not even Pepper most of the time. Every now and then, she’ll sit with him through a panic attack, and she remembers the aftermath of Siberia. But this is a whole nother level of distraught that she’s never witnessed.

Tony was giving her a full display of raw emotion that even she was convinced he wasn’t capable of.

“Tony,” she begins.

“I fucked up, Pep,” Tony sounds so defeated. Pepper grabs his hand in a show of support, and he’s grateful by the way he squeezes. “I fucked up real bad, that’s what happened.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I thought we were doing the right thing,” he sighs. “I thought that he wanted us -- wanted me to be there for him. I thought we were helping him.”

“But, we are--”

“He wants to die, Pepper!” he snaps unknowingly. “He told me that I should have just left him there to  _ die! _ ”

Tony erupts into another cry and for once, Pepper is speechless. She briefly questions the legitimacy of Tony’s story because she doesn’t want to believe it herself. It doesn’t sound like something that Peter would ever say. She can only look at Tony dumbstruck as he stares ahead helplessly.

“He hid his feelings from us. From me!” His head snaps at her with fear glazing his features. “What if he kills himself? What do we do?”

Tony was looking to Pepper for a solution, and she’s disappointed in herself for coming up short on answers. Every time she thinks she’s got something, her mouth hangs open only to close shortly after.

“I… I don’t,” she tries but she can’t find the right words, so she looks back at him helplessly. “I think we may need help. Real professional help. For both us and Peter.”

Tony picks at the leather stitching on the steering wheel. “You mean, like a shrink.”

“No, not a ‘quack’, Tony,” Pepper sighs. “I mean, a family therapist who specializes in grief counselling.”

Tony looks unsure, and Pepper takes a moment to reassure him that it is for the best.

“I’m going to do some searching,” she states. “You should go back inside. Peter shouldn’t be alone.”

“He says he doesn’t want me in there,” Tony replied sadly.

“Oh, Tony, he’s hurting right now. He doesn’t mean it.” Pepper corrects.

“I just… I’ve never felt like this before,” Tony turns to stare out the window up at the night sky.

“You mean being rejected by someone who looks up to you?” Pepper giggles. “I imagine it’s a new feeling for you.”

Tony throws her a false gaze of irritation. “Ha ha. Funny. No, I guess I mean… helpless? Like, I want to help, but I can’t. I can’t deal with that emotional distress. I don’t know how to!”

Pepper nods like she completely understands where he’s coming from. Tony knows that she does and he’s grateful that she’s letting him vent at her. Even though they’ve been through hell and back with each other, it’s still very rare for Tony to open himself up to her.

But Pepper has the patience of a saint. She is aware how much he is struggling just to confide in her. Tony feels very blessed to have her at his side and is going to do anything and everything to make sure it stays that way.

He leans over and rests his head on her shoulder. She begins to card her fingers through his hair in an effort to comfort him.

“That is why we’re going to hire a therapist.” She reminds him.

“I’m… I’m actually afraid to go back in.” Tony admits with a ghastly laugh. He sits up rubbing at his eyes. “What is wrong with me?”

“Nothing,” Pepper answers. “This is normal, Tony.”

“Being afraid of a kid is normal?”

“You’re not afraid of him,” she corrects. “You’re afraid of his feelings, and of his reactions.”

Tony scoffs. “Maybe  _ you  _ should be the therapist.”

“I’m only telling you what I observed from the past couple of days.” Pepper opens her car door. “Now, come on. I’ll go back with you.”

It takes Tony a few minutes longer than either of them anticipate to make a move. He really doesn’t want to go back inside. Honestly, being near Peter right now is so emotionally draining that it’s affecting his physical health. A rotting feeling develops at the thought, and it’s no ill will towards Peter. Tony just doesn’t know what to do when other people are being emotional around him. Hell, he has a hard time being around Pepper when she starts to cry.

Tony sighs and rubs his face with his hands. He looks over at Pepper who is waiting for him with the most gorgeous smile on her face. It’s around her that he feels his confidence soar. He can’t place what it is about the woman, but he knows her presence has an effect on people.

Kind of like Peter with his innocence which is still intact somehow. Tony knows that by fifteen, he had already sinned beyond belief. But with Peter, it was genuine and pure. The kid was literally like an angel in disguise. He saw the good in everyone, even if they didn’t deserve an ounce of his kindness.

The two of them were extraordinary, and Tony loved them to death.

“Let’s go.” The conviction in his tone surprised even him, but he wouldn’t let the thought deter him in his mission to prove himself to Peter. Pepper smiled knowingly as she linked her arm through his, and they walked back into the hospital to be with their kid.

* * *

 

Peter clutches his pillow close to his chest as he cries and screams into it. With every breath comes a new wail, and his grip on the pillow tightens. Soon enough his muffled cries die down, and he cradles the pillow rocking on the bed. 

He just carelessly yelled at Tony. The same man who took him under his wing as his ward practically. The same man who takes time out of his busy life to check up on Peter to make sure that he’s okay. The same man who spent over two hours digging

through the remains of a building to save his life. And Peter repays him by putting him on full blast.

Peter’s made a lot of bad decisions, but he feels like this is the worst one. Regret plagues his body and he can do nothing but stir in his own mishap.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” he repeats into the pillow.

Tony must hate him now. Tony left, and he’s never going to come back. He’s going to make sure that Peter never has the means to contact him ever again. He’s going to be ignored and forgotten, and then thrown into foster care because there’s no way that Pepper would keep him around after what just happened. Peter is going to be alone for the rest of his life.

“Come back,” Peter gazes somberly up at the ceiling. “Please, come back. Don’t leave me alone. May, please!” His head collapses back into the pillow and his cries grow louder. “I don’t want to be alone anymore!  I want you and Ben back. Please, please, come back. Please tell me that you’re not really dead. Please!”

He’s so  _ stupid! _

The pillow is tossed against the wall and flops forward onto the ground. Peter can’t bring himself to care that he just made a small dent where it hits. He just stares at his left hand angrily. Curling his fingers into his palm and squeezing until his knuckles strain white with pressure.

“You’re stupid.” Peter tells himself. He raises his fist and smashes it against his head. Hard. Repeating himself over and over.

“Stupid! You’re so. Fucking. Stupid!”

The thudding against his head worsens. He knows that he’s giving himself a concussion. Maybe even hemorrhage. It doesn’t matter.

All he does is hurt the people who care about him. Ned, who looked so distraught at Peter for refusing his help. Mr. Stark who took the brunt of his frustration. May who is physically dead because her worthless nephew couldn’t save her. Couldn’t be bothered to put on the suit, even though every nerve in his body was telling him to do so!

“Idiot!” Peter cries. “Why didn’t you put on the suit?”

Each hit against his cranium becomes harder with each word. “Why. Didn’t. You. Put. On. The.  _ Suit?! _ ”

“Peter, what are you doing?” Tony shouts as he runs over and attempts to restrain him. “Stop it!”

Tony has to use most of his strength to keep Peter from harming himself further. One hand on his upper arm, and the other on his forearm holding it in place.

“Let me go!” Peter easily lifts Tony off the ground with his one arm and flicks back.

The force flings Tony backward and he lands on his right shoulder blade. Stunned from the impact, Tony struggles to sit up. When he does, he sees Pepper striding over to Peter. He looks ashamed of himself, and can’t bring himself to look at either of them.

Pepper calmly sits on the bed and draws soothing circles on Peter’s back who drastically settles down. Hiccupping sobs fill the room along with soft hushes. Tony cradles his arm, and makes his way around the bed, giving them a wide berth. Peter has nestled against Pepper and is leaning into her as she continues to rub his back, and speak softly to him.

Peter looks so small and frail. Tony feels his heart ache for him.

It doesn’t take long for Peter to calm down, and his breathing evens out. Pepper slowly peels herself away from him, and Tony comes around with the pillow that Peter threw in hand. He places it behind Peter’s head as he’s laid down to rest.

Pepper brushes her fingers against his hair and Peter hums peacefully. She is the one who he responds the best to, Tony realizes. Whenever she touches him or talks to him, Peter’s demeanor changes. He looks up to her with hope in his eyes, and Tony knows why.

Pepper reminds Peter of May.

Tony can’t help the pang of jealousy that pierces his heart. It’s ridiculous, because he knows that the kid does love him. But in this moment, Pepper is the savior. She is the one that Peter needs to keep him grounded.

Tony can only smile as Pepper continues staring at Peter with gentle eyes. She isn’t angry at him for what he said earlier, or for throwing Tony across the room. Even though she should be. Surely there will be an opportunity to bring that up later, but for now, Tony revels in the fact that he was right.

Pepper is a great mom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOOOOOO BOY.
> 
> Every time I write a new chapter, I think to myself, 'How can I make this even more disgusting and emotionally draining than the last?' And somehow, I find a way. 
> 
> So, yeah, since Infinity War came out, I’ve had to expand the release of this chapter and make time for myself to GRIEVE. 
> 
> Ya’ll who seen the movie, you know what I mean. YOU KNOW THE SCENE.  
> Every night I pray to the Russos to bestow their gift of angst writing upon mine head.  
> Maybe one day.
> 
> Until IW:2 comes out and UNDOS ALL THE EVIL THE FIRST ONE DID, it’s not going to be canon in this story. Actually this story will be completely finished by the time that happens so….


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finally tells Tony and Pepper what he remembers the day of the incident.

Shortly after Peter’s emotional episode, a nurse comes jogging into the room hastily asking if everything is alright. Tony explains what had happened while favoring his right shoulder, which doesn’t go unnoticed by the nurse. She offers to increase Peter’s morphine intake so that while he’s awake there’s less of a chance he’ll lash out and hurt someone or himself. Tony politely declines, and tells the nurse to inform her superior that he’s going to call in his own doctor who does have experience dealing with enhanced individuals. The nurse nods understandably, and she takes Tony by his left arm, and escorts him out of the room. 

“Don’t think that I didn’t notice you cradling your bicep there, Mr. Stark,” she lightly scolds him. “Let’s get that looked at.”

Tony looks back to Pepper with pleading eyes, and all she offers is a, “See you soon, honey!”

Some fiance.

Tony returns within the hour, right arm in a sling to prevent any sudden movement. Turns out his shoulder was dislocated when he came into contact with the ground. So, it’s nothing serious, is what he hears. Pepper is relieved that Peter didn’t accidentally break any bones knowing that he’s going to feel extra guilty for manhandling Tony.

Pepper and Tony are both sitting on the couch in each other’s arms, watching Peter sleep peacefully.

“Helen says she won’t be arriving until tomorrow afternoon,” Tony begins talking, exhausted from the silence. “Says that she had her pharmacologists create a new strain of hydrocodone and morphine specially for Peter. That way, he won’t suffer the side effects of overdosage.”

Pepper nods against Tony’s chest. “I’ve already sought out a few potential candidates who may be qualified to work with us and Peter together. One of them specializes in enhanced persons who suffer through loss and depression.”

“God,” Tony softly gasps. “He’s already tried hurting himself. Pep, what if it gets worse?”

Pepper shrugs, “I don’t know, Tony.” she pauses for a short moment. “How do you feel about, suicide watch?”

Tony shifts uncomfortably and Pepper sits up placing one hand in his lap, and the other cards through his hair. He looks at her almost begging. “I’ve been put on suicide watch before. It’s brutal. Almost torture.” He shakes his head. “I’m not handing our kid over to people who are just going to treat him worse than he already feels.”

“That was back in the nineties, Tony,” Pepper counters. “Are you sure?”

“I said, ‘no’. I’m putting my foot down on this one, Pepper.” Tony’s hardened conviction steels her in place. “Trust me Pepper it’s… you’re thrown into a metal room with only a plastic mattress that has no bedding or pillows. You’re stripped of all your clothing. There are eyes on you every ten minutes. It… it was the most humiliated that I have ever felt in my entire life. It was the longest six months of my life. I won’t feel right putting Peter through that.”

“Then we won’t do that,” Pepper smiles and kisses Tony on the cheek. “We’ll be with him every step of the way. It won’t be easy, you know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Tony gazes at Peter who’s starting to stir himself awake. “But I want to try. I really do.”

“You already are, honey.”

Peter, who was laying on his left side turns over on his back. He covers his hand over his face with an irritated groan, “Too bright.”

Pepper is the one who gets up to dim the brightness of the room so that Peter can adjust accordingly. “There you go, sweetheart.”

“Thank you.” Peter says.

Tony migrates from the couch to the chair next to Peter. “How are you feeling, kid?”

Peter is about to answer when he notices Tony’s sling and gasps. “Oh my God, did I break your arm?”

“Just a dislocation,” Tony waves it off. “No biggie. I didn’t even feel it.”

“Mr. Stark, I’m so sorry!”

“Peter, really, it’s fine.” Tony sighs. “You need to stop beating yourself up. Literally.”

“But, we do need to talk about it.” Pepper says, bringing up another chair next to Tony. They’re both sitting next to the bed eyeing Peter with concern. He hates the looks they’re giving them.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Peter wants to just fall back asleep and pretend that none of this is happening.

“Peter, we walked in on you hitting yourself and repeatedly saying,  _ “I should have put on the suit.” _ Tony looks at him unbelievably. Peter remains silent.

“Peter,” Pepper speaks up. “Why are you trying to push us away?”

Peter sighs, looking away. “I told you, I don’t need your help.”

Tony points a finger at him and leans in. “And I thought I told  _ you  _ that you don’t need to go through this alone.”

“I  _ am  _ alone, though!” Peter snaps at him. “ _ I’m  _ the one suffering through loss! You didn’t lose anything!”

“That’s not what I mean, Peter.” Tony says calmly. “Please believe me when I say that isolating yourself isn’t going to help you heal. You’ll only succeed in setting aside your grief and let it fester for years and years until one day, you see everyone as expendable so you think, ‘Why should I bother in building relationships? Why make friends? Why get married? Why have kids?’

Peter rolls his eyes and presses himself against the mattress in a futile attempt to melt into it. Tony is the last person he wants to be given advice from. Especially considering the man practically prides himself in being emotionally inept. Constantly spouting bullshit about not needing anyone, and always succeeding in pushing people away including Peter.

“Peter,” Tony spares Pepper a glance, and she squeezes his hand for support. “I wish I had half the support you do now. I wish I had listened to Rhodey, and god-forbid Obie, when they offered help. I wish I had taken them up on that. I messed up my life by diving into quickies with strangers, and getting blackout drunk and high at the same time. I hit rock bottom hard, and I never wanted to feel the pain of losing someone I loved ever again.”

So why start now? What’s so special about this moment in Peter’s life that Tony is acting so uncharacteristic? It has to be pity. Poor, little orphan Peter who first lost both of his parents, and now both his aunt and uncle.

Why was his life cruel to him? Why, when he tried his best to be respectable, and give people the benefit of the doubt? When he had done no wrong in his life?

Tony leans over and pets at Peter’s hair. “I know what you’re going through, kid. Albeit decades later, but I do know. You don’t deserve to be in this hellish situation. You don’t deserve to suffer through the aftermath. But you are, because fate is cruel, and it doesn’t discriminate.”

Before he could catch himself, Peter’s eyes were watering, and he was choking back sobs. Tony continued with his “pity speech” and Peter couldn’t help but latch onto every word his mentor was saying. It almost sounded rehearsed, but each word carried weight. What if he was trying to let Peter know that he knew what he was going through?

Peter’s head swiveled to look between him and Pepper who offered a smile that he couldn’t help but return, albeit half-meant. “I’ve already lost so much. I don’t think that I can stand to lose anymore. I’m not strong enough.”

“You are so much more than you think you are. I want to help you recover and grow. I want to see you build yourself a great future with your friends and now, messed up new family. Please don’t turn us away.” Tony’s voice strained and cracked at that last part.

“I don’t want to lose you,” Peter whispers.

“I can’t promise you something I’m incapable of preventing,” Tony states. “But in the meantime, I’m sorry, kid, but you’re stuck with us.”

Peter blinks his eyes while observing the two adults in front of him. They looked so soft and vulnerable in this state. Maybe it wasn’t pity, but worriness instead? Maybe they did actually care about him, and weren’t here at the hospital because they felt obligated to be, but because they wanted to be. They wanted to make sure that he’d be okay in the end, even though Peter doubted it himself.

They were there because they loved him, and were willing to stand by his side and help him. He wanted their help so badly, but felt it wouldn’t be his place to ask. Yet, here they are in front of him, arms wide open. Without a second thought.

“I think I’d like that,” Peter sniffles. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Me too, kiddo.” Tony pats his shoulder.

“Welcome to the family, Peter.” Pepper says leaning on Tony’s shoulder.

“Thanks, Ms. Potts.” Peter goes between both of them. “Mr. Stark.”

“Call me, Tony,” He says without thinking. It earns a surprise glance from both Peter and Pepper.

“Uhm, okay, Tony.” Peter mumbles clearly uncomfortable with the change in names.

“Peter,” Tony calls in a hard tone that makes the boy look at him. “I am very,  _ very  _ sorry for striking you earlier. It was uncalled for.”

Peter shrugs, “You were worried about me. I said some awful things to you.”

Tony shakes his head, “Doesn’t matter. It was a mindless reaction, and I regret every second of it.”

“I’m the one who should be apologizing for being an ungrateful asshole,” Peter corrects. “Not you. I know that what I said really hurt you, especially after all that you did for me, and I’m very sorry about that, Tony.”

“I appreciate that, Peter.”

“Peter,” Pepper interjects. “May I ask what you meant before? When you said that you wished you put on the suit?”

“Just,” Peter’s throat thickens and he finds it difficult to swallow. “If I had put on the Spider-Man suit, then May would have lived…”

The two adults look at each other briefly before turning back to Peter. Unsure of what to say.

“If I had at least grabbed my web shooters, then I could have gotten her to safety.” Peter’s vision slowly lowers past Tony and Pepper and he stares at the tile, zoning out. “She’d still be here.”

“Peter,” Tony treads carefully. “The doctor said that you were most likely in very close proximity to the blast. If that’s true, then--”

“It was instantaneous, I’ll give you that.” Peter agrees. “But I still had time to throw myself on top of her in an attempt to shield her from the blast.” his fingers mess with the white linen patterns on the throw blanket. “Not that it matters, because she died anyway.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Pepper suggests. “It might help.”

Peter shrugs. “I guess I could try.”

“Feel free to stop anytime you get uncomfortable, honey.”

Peter nods, and then closes his eyes as he collects his memories from the recent disaster.

* * *

 

_ “Peter Parker, you had best be home immediately after school,” May threatened him with the wooden spoon she held. _

_ “I give you my word, Aunt May,” Peter held up his right hand signifying that he would not disobey. _

_ She only stared at him sternly as she handed him his breakfast platter. “I don’t want to have to ground you for another week, Spider-Man.” _

_ “You won’t,” Peter reassured her. “I promise that I will be on time.” He kissed her on the cheek for extra brownie points. _

_ “That doesn’t work like it used to,” May stated, referring to when Peter was much younger and able to practically get away with murder. _

_ “Sure it does!” he smiled at her before sitting down and devouring his food. _

_ “Slowly! Slowly!” she chastised him. “I know that you’re metabolism changed because of your powers, but you can still choke!” _

_ He nodded with his mouth full of food, and slowed down his eating for her sake. May only sighed at him in slight disapproval before turning back in the kitchen to finish cooking her own food. For a moment, Peter contemplated grabbing his suit and throwing it on him for just in case. He knows that he promised May that he wouldn’t go on ‘patrol’, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t stop a couple of crimes on his way home. He shook the thought from his mind, and scolded himself for even thinking about going against his word. This time, he was going to follow through, and listen -- despite every bone in his body telling him to get into the suit. It wasn’t his ‘spider-sense’, just a weird feeling prickling on the back of his head -- practically begging him to put it on. It did make him feel much safer given the tech behind it. _

_ Ignoring the knot in his gut, Peter rose from his seat to discard his dishes in the sink. May told him to leave them be, and that she’d get to them later. He nodded and only turned slightly when he felt it: a cold shudder down his spine, and the back of his neck growing stiff. His spider-sense was alerting him to danger in the immediate area. _

_ There was no time to react. Nothing that he could do, as the walls of their kitchen tore apart, and an angry ball of fire invaded their space. In the back of his mind, he could hear his aunt scream, but only for a second. He did the only thing that he could think to in the small time frame he had, and threw himself on top of May in an attempt to shield her from the fire. His ears hurt, burned and he thought he could feel liquid leak out of them. The sound of an explosion rang throughout the building, or that’s what he thought he heard before he felt himself falling through the air. Peter was going through severe sensory overload. He desperately tried to get himself under control; to regain focus. To help May, who he realized was nowhere near him. Then he felt sharp pain spear through his stomach as he came into contact with the ground. His right shoulder felt like it was on fire. He only had time to stare up at the falling debris coming down upon him.   _

_ He should have put on the suit. _

* * *

 

Peter’s eyes fluttered open, and it took him a second to realize that he was being comforted by Tony and Pepper on either side of his bed. He hadn’t felt or heard them move at all. The memories must have pulled him in deep, because Tony was going over breathing exercises with him, and shoved his silk handkerchief in Peter’s hand. How many handkerchiefs did one man need? 

The material was super soft, and Peter felt immense relief. This one was much nicer to touch than the one Tony gave him before months prior. He enclosed both of his hands over the shiny silk piece, and did as Tony said.

“I’m sorry, Peter.” Pepper whispers while combing her fingers through his curls. He leaned in, hoping she wouldn’t stop too soon. “It must have been painful to relive that moment.”

“It’s okay,” Peter spoke truthfully. “Because you guys are here, and I’m not alone anymore.”

Tony rested his chin on top of Peter’s head. “You weren’t alone then either. I was with you from the second I found you, and I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Like I said before, you’re stuck with me.”

Peter rolls his eyes. “Oh, darn. How terrible.”

Pepper snickers, and Tony glares at her. “Smartass kid. You’re lucky I love you.”

“I know,” Peter says leaning into Tony. “I love the both of you, too.”

Tony situates himself so that he’s laying on his left side (trying to be mindful of his right shoulder), and brings Peter close to his chest who melts into him. Tony accidentally moves Peter’s right arm and quickly apologizes.

“Oh,” Peter says taking off the sling. “I actually think my arm is all healed now. Legs still hurt kind of… I don’t know if that’s normal.”

“Peter, you’ve only been in the hospital for two weeks,” Tony laughs. “Any other person with as many broken bones as you would have to wear a cast for months on end. You’ll be very lucky to be walking again by the end of this month.”

“God, how did I survive without my super-healing before?”

“Well, I don’t think you were jumping around from rooftop-to-rooftop yet,” Pepper pokes him in the cheek.

“Fair enough,” Peter hums as Pepper gently rubs his scarred cheeks. “Probably won’t heal the burn scars though. That’s going to suck.”

“That’s what surgery is for, kid.” Tony says. “They’ll just take some skin off of your ass, and plaster it on your face. You’ll be a literal butthead.”

Tony laughs at the look of disdain that Peter gives him.

“Pepper, Tony’s being mean to me!” Peter quickly turns to Pepper with big, glossy brown eyes, and a quivering lip.

“What did I tell you before? That doesn’t work on me.” Pepper scolds him with a smirk. She bursts out laughing when Peter’s face falters.

“Ha!” Tony shouts. “She’s immune to your ‘Bambi Face’, kid! Tough luck.”

“Anthony, be nice.” Pepper teases him.

“Babe,” Tony whispers in shock. “Did you just pull the first name card?”

“Don’t make me pull the middle and last name, too.”

Tony holds his hands up in defeat. “Okay, okay! I’ll take it easy.”

Pepper looks at her watch. “It’s getting late, how about we all get some rest?”

“I don’t think we all can fit on this bed.” Peter jokes. It was a decent size hospital bed, but it wasn’t quite queen size.

Tony waves off his claim. “Nonsense, it’ll work! Here, I’ll lay on my side, and scoot you in further, Pete. There, now Pepper has room.”

Pepper was about to protest, and retreat back to the hotel room that she paid the whole month for, when the sight of her two boys, with arms extended, pulled her in. She sighs in defeat, and takes off her shoes, and curls into Peter’s side. Tony has his right hand trailing underneath the pillow, and ending up on Pepper’s side, caressing her hair. In return, she wraps her left arm around Peter’s torso, and brings her hand up to Tony’s face.

Their positions are a bit awkward, but they make it work, and all three fall asleep within minutes. For the first time in the past two days, Peter is content with his life. His eyes open slightly as he stares up at the ceiling with a smile on his face.

_ ‘Goodnight, Aunt May. Goodnight, Uncle Ben. Mom and dad, too.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had that flashback scene written out since chapter 1. I’m so glad that I finally get to use it!
> 
> Just how many handkerchiefs does one man need indeed? One for each Iron Man suit, perhaps?
> 
> Also I thought that we could all use a break from the angst, but only for a little bit.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finally gets some of his casts taken off.

Tony is gently rustled out of his deep sleep by Happy who is whispering at him to wake up. He responds by groaning and swatting at Happy pathetically, telling him to go away. 

“Helen’s here.”

That’s when Tony makes the effort to open his eyes to see Helen Cho standing behind Happy. “You said that you weren’t going to be here until the afternoon.”

“It’s three in the afternoon, Tony.” Happy tells him.

“Oh, shit.” With Happy’s help, Tony is pulled up from the bed. His movement jostles Peter who complains about his sleep being interrupted and wanting just five more minutes. “Get up, kid. Helen’s here to look you over.”

Peter wraps his pillow over his head attempting to block any light from invading his sleep. “Who’s Helen?”

“My personal doctor who actually gets the job done.” Tony notices then that the other side of the bed is empty, and he looks up at Happy. “Where’d Pepper go?”

“She’s taking a shower,” he answers. “Made me promise not to wake you up until Cho arrived. Guessing you guys didn’t get to sleep until late?”

Tony nods and Peter emerges from his makeshift pillow cave. “I want a shower. Real bad.”

“Well,” Helen walks around the bed so that she’s facing Peter. “I’ll see what I can do after I look you over, okay?” she extends her hand. “Nice to finally meet you, Peter. You’re a popular topic of conversation around Mr. Stark.”

“Oh.” Peter blushes as he completes the handshake.

“Really Helen? I thought I could trust you.” Tony says dryly.

Helen ignores Tony’s claim, and instead shoos him off the bed. Tony tells them that he’s taking Happy to get some brunch, and they’ll bring back a bite for Peter. Now it’s just Peter and the doctor, although he can hear the water going in the bathroom, so he’s relieved knowing that Pepper is still in the room.

Helen does her job expertly. She talks to Peter like he’s a real person, and her words don’t feel robotic as if it’s the same spiel used on other patients. Everytime she examines a new part of his body, she lets him know beforehand, and even asks for permission. Peter can see why 

Tony likes her. 

It’s not that none of the other doctors and nurses at the hospital haven’t been nice, or not doing their jobs. Helen just has the type of personality that makes you forget you’re being treated by her at all. It feels humane. It’s a nice change compared to what he’s used to.

Pepper emerges from the bathroom in navy blue high-waisted shorts, white tennis shoes, and a slightly oversized shirt that’s tied in a knot on the side. Her hair is loose and flowing, and it glistens when she runs her fingers through it. She greets Helen and Peter.  

“Helen, it’s good to see you!” Pepper looks to Peter. “Excited to get your casts off?”

“Very.” Peter sighs happily.

“Well then, let’s start with the one on your right arm.” Helen grabs a pair of sheers and separates the casting that binds Peter’s arm and torso in place together. As soon as Peter’s arm is free, he stretches it out with help from the doctor who gives light support to make sure that lifting the arm, and bending it feel natural to him.

“Go easy with this arm,” Helen tells Peter as she’s bending the arm for him. “You’re going to go through a phase where you’ll have to relearn how to hold items properly, and how to write again. But your healing powers and enhanced instincts should pick up the slack for you. Should be no more than a few weeks before you feel normal again.”

Peter doesn’t like the sound of having to relearn basic functions. He glances downward on the bed. “What about my legs? Am I going to have to relearn how to walk?”

Helen removes the blanket to reveal Peter’s almost bare legs. “I’ve seen your X-rays, and while your right kneecap has healed, your ankle on the same side bent and now it looks all lopsided. We may have to break it again for it to heal correctly.” She points over to the left leg. “The closed fracture on your left leg seems like it’s all healed. May I press onto it, Peter?”

Peter gives a tentative nod, and Helen reaches over him and carefully lays her hand on his thigh where the fracture took place, and gently squeezes. She watches Peter for a reaction, and when he doesn’t even so much as wince, she repeats the gesture a couple more times up and down his thigh.

“Well, that’s that! Your left leg is healed.” Helen chirps while she walks on the other side of Peter, shears in hand. “After I free this leg, I’m going to check your torso--”

“Doctor, I’m sorry,” Peter interrupts her and turns his head to the left. “But I can barely hear you on that side.”

“Ah, yes, your limited hearing. I apologize.” She leans in closer to him. “As I was saying, I’ll check your torso, and then we’ll talk about scheduling you for some audiology tests. That way we can fit you for hearing aids, and sound dampeners.”

Pepper excuses herself to give Peter some private time with Helen when she helps him to remove his hospital gown. He’s glad that he’s not wearing one of the backless ones, but it’s still embarrassing for him.

Helen surveys the burn marks that remain on Peter’s torso, and half of his face. She does some more basic check-ups, and occasionally pauses to write on her clipboard.

“I’m going to issue a strong dosage of morphine that was designed specifically for you by my very own pharmaceutical scientists.” Helen looks up at Peter briefly before continuing her writing. “We’re also going to get another IV in here with a bag containing double the amount of nutrients you should have been receiving from the very beginning. Why Tony never called me right after this happened, I have no idea.”

“So, deficiency is causing me to heal slowly?”

“And not at all,” Helen gestures to the burn marks. “Some marks are already scarring, and will call for surgery to deal with. The same goes for your hearing. You have a lot of healing to do before you’re even remotely close to going back to your normal life.”

“Too late for that,” Peter whispers trying to hide in his pillow.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Peter,” Helen reaches out and touches his shoulder. “I apologize for the thoughtless comment I made.”

“Not your fault. You’re just thinking of me, and I appreciate that, doctor.”

“You’re a kind boy, Peter.” Helen smiles. “I see why Tony likes you.”

Helen grabs the bed controls, and makes it so that Peter is sitting upward.

“Now, how about that shower?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very short chapter, I apologize! But I'm doing this thing now where I'm cutting down on line breaks and jump cuts essentially. I just don't want my chapters to have jumbled scenes.   
> "Goofatron, I waited nearly a month for a less than 2k word chapter??"   
> Ya i'm sorry again, but hopefully this means that I can dish out more than one chapter a week.   
> That is if I'm not too into writing my other fics lmao.   
> Also am planning to launch out ANOTHER fic, so keep a sharp eye out for that!   
> And as always, thank you all so much for reading my fics!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is unsure of what to make of his new lifestyle.

Peter considered sound dampeners the greatest invention ever created by mankind, and wonders how he survived the past year without them. They cut extra noise that only he could hear with his super hearing out completely. The silence really was relieving. He considers the throbbing migraine that resided in his left temple disappearing to be an added bonus. 

The hearing aid within his right ear amplified the sound waves, and made it more clear for him to hear people talking rather than mumbled gibbering. However, the noise received only traveled through his right ear, which made Peter feel imbalanced. Noting that it was like only getting sound out of one earphone piece and not the other.

“Let me take a look at them later,” Tony says while holding his duffel bag. “See If I can’t fix that little issue.”

Peter laughed while hunched over the side of the bed that he lied in for the past seven weeks, tying his shoes.

“Mr. Stark, is there anything you can’t fix?”

“It’s ‘Tony’ now, remember?” Tony eyes Peter when he makes to stand on his own. “Can you walk alright?”

“Yeah, I think I got it.”

Tony places an arm around Peter’s waist who leans in on his shoulder anyway. They both know that Peter likes to test his limits, even in the most dire of circumstances. That right ankle that healed weird had been broken by doctors again, and straightened itself this time. Though, Peter still found it hard to walk straight, given that he was bedridden for over a month. Tony offered to get the wheelchair, but Peter politely declined. Stating that he’d have to learn how to walk again anyway, so no point in putting it off.

Tony couldn’t argue with him, given that he had no current broken bones. Peter’s healing factor did it’s job and healed all the physical damage, save for the damaged hearing, and burn scars.  

They slowly make their way out the entrance where Happy is waiting, and helps Peter into the car.

“Wanna grab some food before we head home first?” Tony asks sliding in next to Peter from the other side.

“Yeah, that’s fine.” Peter stretches the corners of his mouth, fully aware of Tony’s ability to read him like a book. It’s never mentioned during the drive.  

Fast food tastes absolutely incredible after you’re forced to eat hospital food, and whatever that healthy crap was that Pepper brought him that one time. Peter sincerely appreciated every effort that Pepper made at helping him recover, but goddammit, quinoa was  _ so  _ gross.

At least Tony was on his side when it came to unhealthy choices. Though Peter imagined a different outcome if Pepper had been there with them. Glaring a hole through Tony’s skull until he caved into her demands, and forced Peter to eat a kale salad instead.

Halfway through eating his second burger, Peter noticed the car pull in front of a large building. The large overhang above the front doors read,  _ The Centurion. _

“Mr. Stark, what are we doing here?”

“This is where we live.” Tony says calmly while exiting the vehicle.

Peter, clearly confused, got out of his side before Happy reached him, and ran over to Tony. “What do you mean, ‘This is where we live?’ I thought we were going to the compound?”

Tony shrugs, “Pep and I figured you’d want to stay in the city. So that you could be close to your friends, and your school.”

“Oh.”

An arm snakes its way across Peter’s back, and rests firmly on his shoulder. He feels himself being pulled toward the large building.

“You got all that, Hap?” Tony turns to Peter, pleased with Happy’s nod. “Come, let’s get you settled in, kid.”

The lobby of The Centurion took Peter’s breath away. The walls and floor matched an ivory color. The sharp click of their heels as they walked towards the elevator made Peter gaze down to stare at his reflection in the tiles. To his right a sat a small group of men and women wearing expensive suits and dresses, all chatting away on the large furniture that looked comfortable enough to fall asleep on.

One person looked his way, then Peter realized he’d been staring, and hastily looked away to regain focus to where Tony was taking him. The man in uniform pressed the elevator button, opening the doors and Tony guided him in without pause. Another man within the elevator greeted them, then pressed a button near the top. A small plaque to the right of the button reading,  _ T. Stark. _

Tony thanked the man as they step foot into the small hallway that lead to what was technically the front door to the penthouse. Peter gasped when he set foot into the living room. Hands pressed against the ceiling high windows, presenting him with a wide view of Central Park, and the hundreds of other buildings that surrounded it.

“Pretty, isn’t it?” Tony stood by him.

“It’s amazing.”

“Wanna see your room?”

“Yes!” Peter grinned and followed Tony down the hallway.

The bedroom was the size of his old living room. A large, king-sized bed rested against the wall to the left, in the middle. Two doors on either side; one leading to a bathroom, the other to a large walk in closet. A corner desk was settled to the far right of the room. The windows were as large and wide as the ones in the living room, and it took Peter a second to realize that one of the panes that seemed off, was actually a door that lead to the balcony outside.  

Peter slowly sunk down on the bed, mouth hanging open. Trying to comprehend everything that he’d seen that day.

Tony stood in front of him, observing his behavior for a moment. “You okay, Pete?”

“Yeah,” Peter breathed forcefully. “It’s a bit overwhelming is all.”

Tony nodded, “If it’s too much, we can always find something smaller.”

“No, it’s great, really!” Peter holds his hands up in assurance. “It’s just going to take some time getting used to.”

Tony hums then gestures around the room, “Feel free to decorate however you want. We’ve started you out with the basic essentials.” He walks to the closet and opens it to reveal it’s half full. “Pep went on a shopping spree for you last week, if you couldn’t tell.”

Tony smiles at Peter’s reaction when the kid stumbles into the closet and he says, “This is bigger than my old room!”

“You should see the bathroom, then.”

It was almost the same size of the bedroom. A large stand-alone bathtub was the main piece pressed against one end underneath large windows that overlooked the city. It was fitted with whirlpool jets, and a head rest.

On the left upon entry, sat the toilet and the standing shower. Both were separated by glass doors. At closer inspection, Peter noticed a small television mounted on the wall at eye level directly in front of the toilet. There was another one elevated on the wall where the tub was, but with a bigger and wider screen.

To their right is where the sink with marble countertop resided. A wooden bench made of mahogany sat between the sink and the large tub with white cotton towels neatly folded on it. The floor matched the counter in terms of design, but was a stark contrast in color being white. Peter only then noticed the large, fluffy dark brown rug taking up the empty space. He figured that he probably could lie down, limbs spread, and still not touch either wall.

Peter’s mouth hung open, marveling at the sight of his new home. He barely registered being pulled out of the room by Tony who brought him to a panel built into the wall next to his door. It showed camera feed into the living room, the kitchen, the library, and just outside of the front door down to the elevator.

“These smaller buttons let you switch between feeds, so you don’t have to view all of them at once.” Tony’s fingers hovered over a large red button on the left. “And this is the intercom. Simply select which room you want to activate the intercom, then press the button to talk. It’s like a walkie talkie, basically.”

Peter nodded understandingly then slightly jumped after catching movement on the panel out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh, look, Pepper’s home!” Tony laughs at his reaction.

They go to meet her in the living room where she’s sunk into the cushions of the large white couch, and is taking off her heels. Tony manages to sneak around and jump over the back of the couch to surprise her by shouting her name in close proximity, and nearly gets clocked in the face for it.

While Pepper is cursing him out, Peter takes the time to really draw in the detail of the place. There are no walls separating rooms. Everything about the kitchen can be seen from his vantage point. Eyes trail up from the base of the windows up to the ceiling which expand higher than he originally thought. What really catches his eye is the wooden staircase with iron railing painted black indicating there’s an entire second floor. At about where he thinks the ceiling ends, he can see more of the iron railing. Just how big was this place?

“Peter?”

Being pulled from his observations, Peter snaps back to reality and comes to face the worrying gazes of Tony and Pepper. He really wished they stopped looking at him like that. 

“You okay, bud?” Tony’s tone is delicate and instead of easing Peter, it only succeeds in irritating him.

“Fine.” His own tone is not meant to sound so curt.

Pepper doesn’t seem to notice, but Tony steels his gaze and Peter dreads the talk he’s sure to get later on. He deliberately avoids looking at Tony and instead focuses on Pepper who’s holding up a small black box to him.

“From the hospital,” she answers an unasked question. “They forgot to give it to you before you left.”

Did he leave anything behind? He had nothing except for the new clothes that were bought for him just days before he was released.

“Thanks,” Peter fiddles with the box in his grasp. “Uhm, I think I’m going to rest for a bit, if that’s okay?”

“Sure thing, honey.”

Once Peter’s back in his new room, he briefly thinks about locking the door. However, his imagination spurs a fantasy about Tony, donned in the Iron Man suit, bashing down the door, so the idea is quickly discarded.

Peter trenches across the too large room, and sits atop the too large bed. Laying down is out of the question, because the ceiling is like, fifty feet tall, and he feels like the entire room is swallowing him up. So, he opts for sitting cross-legged, tossing the box a bit. Trying to decipher the slight jingle before caving and opening it.

The box held one item. The remains of May’s wedding ring. Where the band had melted slightly, and was burned all around, the diamond remained untouched almost. Just the sight of it was enough to bring Peter to tears.

Reality was settling in, and suddenly he felt sick to his stomach. Everything was fake. The new clothes, new room, new family. Peter wanted none of it. He wanted his old family back, with his old room, and old worn-out clothes.

He wanted to revel in the stench of May’s burnt turkey loaf. He wanted to cringe at both his aunt and uncle dancing old people dances like, The Sprinkler, in their cluttered living room. He wanted to make food puns with his aunt, and more than anything he wanted to sit in one spot while she yelled and screamed at him for getting hurt while he was out being Spider-Man.

Peter didn’t hate Pepper or Tony. It just felt like they were showering him with fancy gifts, and a luxurious lifestyle because it was all they know. It was a distraction. Just focus on the shiny trinkets, and forget the old life.

Kicking off his shoes, Peter curled up onto his side, and brought one of his pillows forward to hug on. He buried his face into it, and tried to forget where he was. Wishing to be back at his old, musty apartment with May. Still wishing they shared the same fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Pete's got a lot of shit to figure out despite promising both Tony and Pepper he'd try to work with them. :/


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ned and MJ go visit Peter after school.

The next time Ned was able to visit Peter, MJ tagged along. Insisting that she be allowed to see him. Ned, being protective, was unsure if Peter wanted to see more than one person, but he knew better than to argue against her. So, Ned spent their time being driven by Happy to The Centurion briefing Michelle on Peter’s physical, and mental state. Giving her advice on what to say, and how act around him. 

“You know,” Michelle interrupted his tirade. “I don’t think Peter needs constant reminder that he’s been through hell.”

“But, he’s in a delicate situat--”

“--So, with that in mind, I’m going to go ahead and ignore everything you’ve just told me. Not that I was listening to begin with.”

“MJ, please, you don’t understand the gravity of Peter’s mental state right now.”

“Then why don’t you stop beating around the bush, and just tell me? I know as much as everyone else at school: He was caught in an explosion, and survived.” Michelle threw her hands out in front of her in frustration. “That’s it! That’s all I know! But  _ you  _ clearly know more, so what aren’t you telling me?”

“I can’t tell you, that’d be betraying Peter’s trust.” Ned raised his voice. “He’s my friend.”

“He’s my friend, too.” MJ stated while staring out the window. Her voice remained calm and poise, but the reflection of her face in the window revealed her growing irritation. “Or did you forget that little fact?”

“Hey, knock it off back there!” Happy shouted glaring at them in the rearview mirror. “I’ll turn this car around and then  _ neither  _ of you will get to see Peter today!”

The remainder of the car ride was spent in complete silence, much to Happy’s relief. Although, he could feel the tension building between the two teenagers in the car. Occasionally glancing back at them, neither made a move and sat still, peering out the window. Both looked equally peeved, and he could hear the faint sound of Ned grinding his teeth. Happy sighed and muttered a small curse to all teenagers in the world, and refocused his vision to the road in front of him.

The elevator ride wasn’t much better, if Happy was honest. He made sure to stand in between the two teens, who still looked away from each other. Even the elevator operator shifted uncomfortably in their presence, and made to gaze up at the ceiling for the entire ride. Why did Tony have to pick the goddamn penthouse with rooftop access?

Thankfully for Happy, Pepper happened to be in the small lounge area to the left of the living room, and got up from her chair the second that Happy nearly shoved the kids through the front door.

“They’re your problem now, boss.” Happy looked at Pepper sternly. “Good luck.”

Pepper doesn’t think she’s seen Happy run so fast in her life. Well, more like a light jog back into the elevator, where she swears she just saw the operator sigh in relief.

No matter.

She goes to welcome Peter’s friends to find they’re not where Happy basically threw them. Instead, they’re roaming the living room and kitchen areas each with an interesting expression dancing across their features. Ned is blatantly at a loss for words and can’t stop gawking and pointing at everything, while Michelle is shuffling around, hands in her pockets seeming disinterested. Though her eyes are as wide as Ned’s and even contain the same shining awe.

“This place is amazing.” Ned practically sings.

“Well, I’m sure Peter can give you guys a full tour once I’ve taken you to his room.” Pepper suggests, gathering their attention.

“Hey, Leeds,” Michelle says diverting Ned’s attention to her. “Didn’t you have something from Morita for her?”

“Oh, right!” Ned takes off his backpack and pulls out a moderate stack of papers all rubberband in place in a brown folder. “Principal Morita called me up to the office, and handed me this. I think it’s Peter’s make up work?”

Pepper takes the papers graciously, “Why, thank you, Ned. How kind of you.” She looks in Michelle’s direction. “And thank  _ you  _ for reminding him.”

Michelle simply nods and adds, “No problem.”

Pepper turns down the hallway and beckons Ned and Michelle to follow her. They stop to the first door on the right, and she raps the thick wood with the back of her knuckles.

“Peter, sweetie, your friends are here to see you!”

A muffled voice yells, “Just a second!”

The door opens and Pepper stands to the side just in time to avoid Ned flinging himself forward into Peter’s arms.

Peter laughs, “Hey guys, I missed you too! Come in!”

Pepper reminds Peter to let her know if they need anything before she leaves the trio be. He thanks her then turns to see Ned in the distance marvelling at his room. Michelle, who’s at the center of his vision, looks him up and down. Her gaze pauses slightly at his face, and Peter is reminded of his scars. Instinctively, he turns away, showing his good side instead, but she side-steps in front of him again. Her persistence is exactly why he likes her.

“Hey, loser. Glad you’re alright.” Her subtle smirks, and eye squints make her cheeks puff out and flush a bit.

“Thanks, MJ.” And Peter is grateful for her not pointing out his obvious flaws and sensitivities.

She’s the complete opposite of Ned who is always loud and boisterous about the obvious. Michelle is quiet, and reserved and lets people talk at her sometimes. Admittedly, it’s frustrating when Peter is trying to get her to open herself up more, but most times, it’s nice having a friend who will sit there and just listen.

“Here,” Peter looks down to see Michelle holding a small bundle of sketchbook papers out to him. “I did these for you while you were in the hospital.”

Ah, her “observational drawings”, as she liked to call them. Most were of kids looking annoyed or bored. Probably during detention, he’d wager. The ones he liked the most were of people in Central Park jogging, walking their dogs, she even managed to sketch a couple of elderly men playing Chess. The very last piece was his absolute favorite: Flash Thompson glaring as hard as he could straight ahead.

“I knew you’d love that one,” she smirked. “I think he knew what I was up to, and probably thought that by glaring at me, he’d deter me from my drawing. Showed him.”

“You sure did.” Peter laughed at the picture. Usually, he wasn’t one for finding enjoyment out of other people’s misery, but knowing that MJ was the one who caused his irritation really brought a smile to his face.

“I really love these, MJ. Thanks.” Peter goes to place them in the top drawer of his desk.

“Dude, Peter!” Ned says from atop Peter’s bed. Spreading his limbs, and craning his head to look up at the person in question. “You have a king-sized bed  _ and  _ a full couch in here?”

Ned points to the far lower right corner, near the door. “And one of those see-through fridges, too!”

“So, what’s it like living large?” Michelle asks, settling down on the chaise part of the sofa.

Peter shrugs, and sits on the edge of the bed. “It’s different. It’s a lot to take in, but Tony and Pepper have been doing their best to make it as comfortable as possible for me. So, I can’t complain too much.”

Ned crawls forward and plants himself next to Peter. “But you can, though. You know, if it gets overwhelming.”

“They’re doing me a favor by letting me stay with them. If I start nagging about every little thing that bothers me… I don’t want to be a burden to them.”

“If simply stating your opinion is what makes you a “burden”, then fuck them both,” Michelle says it so casually and without thought as she flips through channels on the large television.

Peter stares at her wide-eyed and mouth open. Ned notices and mistakes Peter’s reaction for negativity.

“Michelle, don’t be rude! Mr. Stark and Miss Potts are basically Peter’s parents!”

“So what?” Michelle continues, turning to him. “Parents or not, no kid should feel like they can’t speak their mind in their own home. Even if their opinion is different.”

She turns around, focusing on the TV again. Ned sighs irritably and apologizes to Peter who assures him it’s alright.

“They haven’t done anything to make me feel guilty, if that’s what you’re saying, MJ.” Peter wants to erase the image that MJ has of Pepper and Tony, where they’re manipulative, because they’re not.

“It’s just,” Peter tries to explain with his hands hovering near his face. “They’re giving me so much all at once. I feel like they’re trying to pamper me, and make me  _ forget _ about the explosion, and May’s death in a way.”

“Maybe it’s their way of showing affection, and trying to help you?” Ned suggests.

“It’s the wrong way to go about it, if you ask me.” Michelle butts in.

“I  _ know  _ that,” Ned snaps at her. “I’m only saying that maybe they don’t know how to deal with other people grieving. They’re probably throwing this lavish lifestyle at you, because they don’t know how to help you properly. You should talk to Miss Potts about this, definitely.”

“I guess.” Peter bites his lip, and feels bad for dragging his friends into his personal business. This was meant to be a fun reunion, and now he’s ruining it with his stupid problems.

“So,” Michelle calls over the couch. “Are you going to get surgery for your face and ears?”

Peter snorts his laughter, and places a reassuring hand on Ned’s shoulder who is gaping at Michelle. “I think I’ve had enough of hospitals for a while. Though it would be nice to have all my face back.”

“I like the scarring,” Michelle says and makes eye contact with Peter. “It builds character.”

Peter just laughs. Michelle smiles from behind the couch.

“Also, where’s the bathroom at?” She asks, standing from her seat. Walking to where Peter points, she opens the door and gasps. She turns to Ned. “If you liked the room, you should see  _ this!” _

Ned rolls his eyes and ignores her. As soon as the bathroom door closes and locks, he leans in and whispers, “People have been wondering where Spider-Man has been for the past month.” he stops abruptly and mentally curses himself. “I mean -- if this isn’t a good time. God, I’m sorry, Peter…”

“Ned it’s fine, I get it.” Peter wraps an arm around Ned’s shoulder. “I’m not going to stop being Spider-Man, but now isn’t the best time to be swinging all over the city. I am working on new web shooters, though. And Tony is developing the blueprints for a brand new suit. Since you know, the old one got destroyed.”

“I think all the news channels decided it was “spontaneous combustion” or something like that. What bullshit.”

“Yeah, Tony is looking into that.” Peter bites his lip. “He doesn’t think it’s that simple.”

“What about you?”

Peter shrugs, “I couldn’t care either way. May is dead now, so really, what’s it matter if it was an accident, or done on purpose?”

“Hey, hey man, come here,” Ned pulls a teary-eyed Peter closer who rests his head on his friend’s shoulder and cries silently.

Ned cards his fingers through Peter’s hair, which naturally make him calm down. Peter wraps his arms around Ned’s body and pulls himself closer, and digs his face into Ned’s neck. Wet tears are staining Ned’s skin and clothes, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

Slowly, Ned rocks back and forth with Peter in his arms and hushes, telling him that everything is going to be okay. Occasionally kissing his forehead, and rubbing his back in a soothing attempt.

Peter hears the bathroom door click, and he quickly pulls away from Ned, and wipes at his eyes. Michelle is standing by the edge of the bed staring at him. He hopes she didn’t see him crying, but knows it’s futile to hide anything from her. Especially when she places a hand on his shoulder and gently grasps at him.

“You good?” her voice is oddly sweet sounding and refreshing to hear.

“Yeah,” Peter wipes his nose with his sleeve. “Yeah, I’m good. So, how about we order some pizza, and watch a movie? Or play some games?”

“Sure, I was just going to raid your fridge anyway.”

“Can we eat out on the balcony?” Ned asks excitedly.

“You bet we can. And MJ, you keep your hands out of my frid-- Hey!”

Michelle takes a swig of the soda she pulls out, and throws a can to Ned. “What? I’m thirsty.”

Reaching back into the fridge, she pulls out another can, and walks over to Peter, handing it over to him. “You were just going to have us die of thirst? Some host you are.”

Peter snatches the can out of her hand, feigning annoyance. He knows there’s no malice in her tone, and can’t help but smile up at her.

“Whoa, Peter!” They turn to Ned who is already outside overlooking the city. “You can see  _ everything _ from up here! This is amazing!”

Peter grabs his phone before heading outside. MJ follows, and immediately lounges on one of the patio chairs that’s equipped with fat cushioning. Making herself comfortable, she whips out a small sketchbook she keeps in her jacket. As quietly as she can, she quickly sketches her two friends, leaning on the rail and talking. Peter, mostly on the phone for pizza.

The rest of the afternoon is spent devouring two large pizzas, and two boys screeching at each other over some dumb video game. They try to get MJ to join, but she stays huddled against the backboard of Peter’s bed reading a book.

The words on the pages are not so subtly blocked by a black gaming controller sliding in front of her, resting on the book. Michelle looks up from the book and glares at Peter who is begging her to just play one round with him and Ned. Even going as far as to quiver his bottom lip. How dare he. He has no business being that adorable.  

Sighing aloud to signify her annoyance further, she places the book down and forces out a “fine” and slides closer to the edge of the bed. Ned moves over so that she’s placed in the middle between him and Peter. She has no idea what they’re even playing. Some war game that includes aliens it looks like. The graphics look horrific. Probably was an early 00s game.

“Oh, gross,” she exclaims when her character strikes one of the aliens with a knife, and ends up holding the creature’s eyeball as a prize. “What the hell is this game called again?”

“Uh,  _ Serious Sam. _ ” Peter replies without looking at her. “It’s an old as hell game. Came out in ‘01, actually.”

“Ah, so it’s as old as we are.”

“That’s pretty old in video game years.” Ned states.

“Fair enough. You two always go for the old stuff.” MJ frowns when she’s blown up by a headless creature that just ran at her screaming.

“I can’t help it that I love vintage culture.” Peter shrugs.

“Please promise me that you won’t be one of those ‘sad adults’ from the ‘90s who keep insisting that was the best decade, along with the early ‘00s.”

“Oh,  _ god no! _ ” Peter laughs. “I’m not  _ that  _ pathetic.”

“A matter of opinion.” MJ casually takes a sip of her third soda.

“Rude, MJ.” Peter and Ned say at the same time. She smiles at their reactions.

Before any of them knew it, evening had rolled around, and it was time for Ned and MJ to leave. Peter walked with them until they stood outside the building.

“Are you guys sure you want to take the subway?” Peter asks, occasionally glancing up at passersby who sneer at him. In response, he ducks his head, and tries to cover his face. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Ned or MJ.

“I can get Happy to give you guys a ride home. It’s really no problem.”

“I have to go pick up some stuff for mom from the oriental market anyway,” Ned says adjusting his backpack. “Besides, I don’t think Happy really likes us.”

“That’s just how he acts normally. It’s nothing personal, I promise.” Peter giggles.

“Well, we better get going.” Ned looks over to Michelle. “You coming?”

“I’ll catch up,” MJ waves Ned off. “You go on ahead.”

“Right,” Ned replies while backing up slightly. “Bye, Pete! I’ll call you tomorrow!”

“Later, Ned!” When Ned turns and walks out of earshot, Peter gives MJ his full attention. “Was there somethin--”

Peter is caught completely off guard when Michelle cups his face, and brings him downward for a quick kiss. When they break apart, she doesn’t move her hand from his ruined face. Instead, she softly caresses it while staring up at him wide-eyed and blushing. Peter finds himself unable to speak, and is sure that his face is burning hot.

Michelle finds the will to speak up after a moment. “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Pete. Your aunt wouldn’t want it.”

Her lips grow into a full smile as she lets go of him, and walks off leaving him stunned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Tawnee, why do you keep changing the rating of the fic?"   
> Because I don't know what I waaaaant. But, I'm gonna keep it at 'M' because I don't think anything really graphic is going to happen like I originally planned. If it does, I will change it.  
> See kids, this is why you pre-plan your fics. Otherwise you end up a mess like me.
> 
> Alas, maybe MJ and Ned will make Peter see the error of his ways and will be the one to get him to see the wonders of letting people help guide him through his grief.


End file.
